national commander - American Ex-Prisoners of Warnational commander Robert W. Fletcher Ex-POW...

national commander

Robert W. Fletcher

Ex-POW BulletinOctober 2007

3

Fellow Former POWs, FamilyMembers, and Friends,

This is the last column I will bewriting to you as your Commander,and it is also the most difficult, not

because I will be leaving the office,but because there is so much un-finished business that I cannot yetshare with you. Because of the lead-time required for me to write thiscolumn, I am writing it at the endof August but you will not read thecolumn until October.

Since I last wrote the Budget Com-mittee held its annual meeting toprepare a budget for the comingfiscal year. SVC Charlie Hill, whochairs the committee, presented abalanced budget, but in order tohave a balanced budget personnelcosts were reduced. As I stated inmy previous column, the Board ofDirectors will make the ultimatedecisions regarding personnelwhen it meets at the convention.The difficult reality is that person-nel account for the largest percent-age of our costs, a cost that has not

been reduced as our membershipdeclines.

On a different note, I have contin-ued to travel and meet AXPOWmembers face to face. I have re-cently attended the Department ofWisconsin and Department of Ohioconventions and am pleased to re-port I had a rewarding dialoguewith members at both places re-garding the future of AXPOW. I willbe speaking in Indianapolis nextmonth for POW-MIA Day. I also at-tended the program at the KoreanWar Monument in Washington DCin commemoration of the armisticethat ended the Korean War as wellas the Korean War Ex-POWs conven-tion. Unfortunately I have to reportthat although individual KoreanWar former POWs support AXPOW,the Korean War Ex-POWs Associa-tion has shown little interest informing a stronger alliance withAXPOW.

I want to close by saying that, de-spite the many challenges, it hasbeen my pleasure to serve as yourNational Commander this year. Ihave had a chance to meet manyfine people and to set the actionsin motion that have the potentialto keep AXPOW on course and pre-serve the organization as long aspossible.

I also want to assure you that I willstill be an active member on theCongressional Advisory Board forFormer POWs, which provides mewith the opportunity to get someof the more difficult claims casessettled satisfactorily. If you orsomeone you know is denied thecompensation due to them in thefuture, please do not hesitate to letme know.

And as always, whether I am yourCommander or not, please contactme if there is anything you wouldlike to discuss.

Happy Birthday!

For many returning POWs, the sight of the Statue of Liberty inNew York Harbor officially signaled “I’m home.”

The Statue of Liberty National Monument will officially celebrate her121st birthday on Oct. 28, 2007. The people of France gave the Statueto the people of the United States over one hundred years ago in rec-ognition of the friendship established during the American Revolution.Over the years, the Statue of Liberty’s symbolism has grown to includefreedom and democracy as well as this international friendship.

The story of the Statue of Liberty and her island has been one of change.The Statue was placed upon a granite pedestal inside the courtyard ofthe star-shaped walls of Fort Wood (which had been completed for theWar of 1812.) The United States Lighthouse Board had responsibilityfor the operation of the Statue of Liberty until 1901. After 1901, thecare and operation of the Statue was placed under the War Depart-ment. A Presidential Proclamation declared Fort Wood (and the Statueof Liberty within it) a National Monument on October 15th, 1924 andthe monument’s boundary was set at the outer edge of Fort Wood. In1933, the care and administration of the National Monument was trans-ferred to the National Park Service. On September 7, 1937, jurisdictionwas enlarged to encompass all of Bedloe’s Island and in 1956, theisland’s name was changed to Liberty Island. On May 11, 1965, EllisIsland was also transferred to the National Park Service and becamepart of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. In May of 1982, Presi-dent Ronald Reagan appointed Lee Iacocca to head up a private sectoreffort to restore the Statue of Liberty. Fundraising began for the $87million restoration under a public/private partnership between the Na-tional Park Service and The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation,Inc., to date the most successful public-private partnership in Ameri-can history. In 1984, at the start of the Statue’s restoration, the UnitedNations designated the Statue of Liberty as a World Heritage Site. OnJuly 5, 1986 the newly restored Statue re-opened to the public during

Liberty Weekend, which celebrated her centennial.

axpow officers & directors 2006-2007National Headquarters - Clydie J. Morgan, Adjutant

3201 E. Pioneer Pkwy, #40, Arlington, TX 76010(817) 649-2979 (817) 649-0109 fax [email protected]

North East RegionFranklin R. Koehler243 Torrey Pines Dr.Toms River, NJ 08757(732) 244-4629; (732) 505-8702 [email protected]

Laura McIntyrePO Box 475Hardwick, MA 01037(413) 477-8260 (413) 477-0172 [email protected]

East Central RegionPaul E. Galanti21 Maxwell RoadRichmond, VA 23226(804) [email protected]

William J. Richardson5125 Lake Valley DriveFayetteville, NC 28303(910) 864-7318; (910) 487-5100 fax(910) 867-0359 [email protected]

Southeast RegionEdward L. DeMent8735 Doral Oaks Dr., #1617Temple Terrace, FL 33617(813) 985-3783; (813) 989-8871 [email protected]

Ray Van Duzer14157 89th Ave. NSeminole, FL 33776(727) 593-1813(727) 319-5914 [email protected]

North Central RegionCarroll Bogard726 N. Carolina PlaceMason City, IA 50401(641) 424-4870

Larry Dwyer814 Woodlawn Ave.Muscatine, IA 52761(563) 263-5249

Senior Director, Gerald Harvey1504 West 5th St.Sedalia, MO 65301(660) [email protected]

National CommanderRobert W. Fletcher1331 S. ZeebAnn Arbor, Michigan 48103734-663-8649; 734-663-4960 fax

[email protected]

National Senior Vice CommanderCharlie Hill729 Olive StreetColumbia, SC 29205-1853(803) [email protected]

National TreasurerSonnie Bill Mottern279 Huckleberry RoadBluff City, Tenn. 37618(423) [email protected]

National Judge AdvocateGeorge Coker1145 Wivenhoe WayVirginia Beach, VA 23454-3047(757) [email protected]

National ChaplainJohn Romine1609 S. 23rd StreetRogers, AR 72756(479) 636-2287

Jr. Vice CommandersWarren G. King, Sr. - Eastern Zone1015 Mitchell Rd.Nashville, TN 37206-1113(615) 226-7811

Kenny H. Hanson - Central Zone9401 Lyndale Ave. S #228Bloomington, MN 55420(952) [email protected]

Frank Burger - Western Zone9500 Harritt Road #197Lakeside, CA 92040(619) [email protected]

Mid-Central RegionGrover L. Swearingen408 Fair Park AvenueWest Union, OH 45693(937) [email protected]

Ed ‘Kaz” Kazmierczak3754 Elvera LaneWarren MI 48092(586) 268-1954

South Central RegionMorris Barker710 Chapel ViewWaco, Tx [email protected]

Howard Ray7507 Legend RockSan Antonio, TX 78244(210) 661-5911; (210) 661-8837 [email protected]

Northwest RegionHerbert C. Kirchhoff2910 Fernan Ct.Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814(208) [email protected]

Gwen Warren3235 99th Ave NEBellevue WA [email protected]

Southwest RegionRalph Kling15895 Puesta Del Sol LaneRamona, CA 92065-5600(760) 789-3339 phone & [email protected]

Lawrence Strickland35109 Hwy 79 South #63Warner Springs, CA 92086(760) [email protected]

DirectorsOfficers

Committee addresses appearwith their columns

EX-POW Bulletin (ISSN 0161-7451) is published nine times annually (Jan. Feb. Mar./Apr. May June July/Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov/Dec.) by the American Ex-Prisonersof War, 3201 E. Pioneer Pkway, Arlington, TX 76010. Periodical postage paid at Arlington, TX and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send address changes toEX-POW Bulletin, AXPOW Headquarters, 3201 E. Pioneer Pkwy. Suite 40, Arlington, TX 76010-5396. Founded April 14, 1942, in Albuquerque, NM, then knownas Bataan Relief Organization, Washington State nonprofit corporation, “American Ex-Prisoners of War”, October 11, 1949, recorded as Document No. 133762,Roll 1, Page 386-392. NONPROFIT CORPORATION. Nationally Chartered August 10, 1982. Appearance in this publication does not constitute endorsement bythe American Ex-Prisoners of War of the product or service advertised. The publisher reserves the right to decline or discontinue any such advertisement.

© 2007 American Ex-Prisoners of War

PublisherPNC F. Paul Dallas916 Bingham Drive

Fayetteville, NC 28304

EditorCheryl Cerbone

23 Cove View DriveSouth Yarmouth, MA 02664

(508) 394-5250(508) 760-2008 [email protected]

Deadline for the Nov/Dec 2007issue is Oct. 1, 2007.

Please send all materials to theeditor at the above address.

commander 3Directors/Officers 4on capitol hill 6Outreach/Success 7nso 8medsearch 9andersonville 11namPOW 12pow-mia 13civilian 14events, info/news 16Members Forum 17Convention 18News Briefs 20Candidates 21contributions/chaplain 25taps 26Raffle/Ads 31Application 33Quartermaster 34

October 2007table of contents

Ex-POW Bulletin

October 2007

5

October dates:

10~1845 The US Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD opened12~ Columbus Day13~1775 US Navy established16-20~2007 National Convention, Springfield, ILL21~1926 PNC John Edwards born22~1962 Cuban Missile Crisis25~1917 PNC Ralph Rodriguez born28~1886 Statue of Liberty dedicated31~ Hallow’een

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~From Vietnam Veterans of America:Saturday, November 10,2007, marks the25thAnniversary of The Wall, the Viet-nam Veterans Memorial on the Mall in Washington, DC. To commemoratethis event, perhaps the only event of its kind with widespread significance toan entire generation of veterans and their families, Vietnam Veterans ofAmerica (“VVA”) is hosting a parade befitting the generation of veterans whoserved.

This parade will be the “welcome home” that many of the 9 million plus menand women who served on active duty during this era, never had. We expecta minimum of 50,000 plus veterans and their families to come to Washing-ton and join us. The parade is open to all veterans’ organizations, posts, etc.,to proudly march with the affiliation of their choice:

· Military unit or veterans’ service organization· Contingent of a state or city· Fellow uniformed services who served(i.e. Police, Fire Departments)· Veteran motorcycle groups· Teachers, City, and Federal workers who served· Veterans from all walks of life

We invite you to be part of this historic event.

Please pass the word along to all groups who deserve to participate in thiswonderful event. For more information, visit http://vva.org/25thEvent/event_info.htm, or call toll free at1-877-727-2333.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An updated listing of candidates for national office appear on pages 21-22.This is to accomodate those candidates who did not get their information into the Nominations Chairman in time for the traditional Election Issue inJuly.

on capitol hillLes Jackson, Executive Director

National Capitol Office

1722 Eye Street, NW #204

Washington, D.C. 20421

(202) 530-9220; (202) 223-8818 fax

(703) 352-1038 home; e-mail: [email protected]

Charles Stenger, Ph.D, Legislative Co-Chairman

5709 Brewer House Circle, Rockville, MD 20852

(301) 231-7555

Mary Rolen, Legislative Co-Chairman

7450 Spring Village Dr. CC510

Springfield, VA 22150

(703) 923-9444

Ex-POW Bulletin

October 2007

6

We moved. June and I are trying toget used to our new life in a retire-ment home. The hardest job in thetransition is the downsizing. We hada house full of “stuff” because wehad the space to keep it. We were“pack rats”. On a regular trash daylast winter, I asked them not to stopat our house because we already hadenough; we didn’t need any more!

In the middle of all this houseclean-ing, my son-in-law approached meholding a nondescript object saying,“Do you want to keep this?” Afterfurther questioning, I said, “Joe, Ihave the “Depression Syndrome”.Add that to the “Stalag Syndrome”and I have a double whammy. I don’tdiscard anything I may need someday. My views on life were moldedby the Depression in the 1930s. If Iever have to wear second-handclothes, it won’t be the first time.When I was processed into the mili-tary, I felt like a kid in the candystore. They threw all these newclothes at me and a box to send mycivies home. I put my civies in thebox and threw the box in the trash.When I was “processed” into Stalag17-B, they took my clothes and myhair and gave me back my under-wear, but not that nice warm flightequipment. That was confiscated be-cause it had “Property of the USArmy Air Corps” on each piece. Theywere not as “giving” as the US Army;I got second-hand clothes again. Theseat of the pants looked like a shred-ded wheat biscuit. Living below thepoverty level skewed my psyche tothe extent I wouldn’t throw awayanything. Unfortunately, from timeto time you have to bite the bulletand get rid of it.

When the Russians were closing inon Vienna, we were evacuated 200-300 miles west. You could take any-thing you wanted, but you had tocarry it. After several hours in themarch (straggle), the road becamelittered with “stuff”. That was whenI realized we were all “pack rats”. Iam getting over this affliction. It isnecessary if I want to continue liv-ing with June in our new retirementhome. How about you? I bet you canrelate to this story and to the factthat while you and I are different, weare similar in many more ways. Thebond of the captive experience isvery strong.

It is natural that we as former POWscare about the welfare of others be-cause we were combatants; part of amilitary combat unit that respectedand depended on each other. A Bandof Brothers as it were. That caringrespect does not seem to be preva-lent today. The many ways in whichwe are so much alike are much moreimportant than the few ways inwhich we are different. We all havestuff that is best left on the road-side as we march toward the sunsetas a band of brothers.

Les

As of Sept. 6, our bills H. R. 1197 &S.848, Osteoporosis & Diabetes arestill being discussed among the Com-mittee Members; however, at thiswriting “money cost and priorities”come into play. As I reported in mySeptember column, S.1315 new Sen-ate bill does include “Osteoporosisif the Secretary determines that theveteran was diagnosed with PTSD”.We do not know yet when the Sen-ate & House Veterans Affairs Com-mittees will submit the legislation tothe Congress for final voting. Also,H.R. 1197 became H.R. 760. I can-not find out exactly why the “diabe-tes” was omitted…but I’m trying.

Please know we are trying to workwith both committees to securethese last two presumptives. How-ever, you members should continuetalking to your Elected Representa-tives about this legislation. You are

the constituents - remember whoelected them!

Now for some good news – Rep. BobFilner’s bill H.R. 2369, Honor OurFallen Prisoners of War, to present aposthumous Purple Heart to thefamilies of POWS who had been over-looked has been approved for imple-mentation by the U.S. Department ofDefense. The bill was included as asection in the National Defense Au-thorization Act for 2007, whichpassed in Oct 06 and directed thePresident and the DoD to review thecriteria used to determine eligibilityfor the award of the Purple Heart forPOWS. The review was completedand the report was been released onAug. 30th. Rep. Filner says, “the re-port changing the eligibility criteriafor the Purple Heart has merit forPOWS who die while in captivity andwho are eligible for the Prisoners ofWar Medal which includes virtuallyall POWS”. Sen. Barbara Boxer intro-duced the companion bill in the Sen-ate. The inspiration for the bill camefrom a Shorty Estabrook of Selma,Texas who was imprisoned duringthe Korean War for over three yearsand Rick and Brenda Tavares ofCampo, CA. Brenda’s uncle, Corp.Melvin Morgan, died of starvationand beatings in l950 at the age of 20in Korea. The task for the DoD toimplement this will be monumentalbut this is great news for the fami-lies of POWS who died in captivity.Let us all say thank you to Rep. Bob

Filner (CA) by whatever means youcan. I know he would love to hearfrom you!

Mary

VA Outreach

S*O*O*N

Before it’s too late

NSO Fred Campbell, Chairman 3312 Chatterton Dr.San Angelo, TX 76904325-944-4002; [email protected] members:

NSO Frank Kravetz (412) 824-2674;ND Bill Richardson (910) 864-7318

OUTREACH

TEAMWORK

Here’s looking for You!

Already the Outreach OrientationSeminar on June 7th at the AXPOWState Department meeting in SanAntonio is bearing fruit.

An essential part of this team ef-fort is AXPOW Headquarters’Marsha Coke, who is sending outup-to-date membership lists tothese members who will be mak-ing calls.

TEXAS: Leander & JosephinePflughaupt, Edna Ames, ShirleyFontes, Jorge Guerra, Sina Chan-dler, W.T. Jones, Bill Leonard, BettyHarlan, Mary Boyett, DottieVaughn, Howard Ray and PuettWillcox.LOUISIANA: Charles & Stella WebbMICHIGAN: Ed “Kaz” Kazmierczak& Robert FletcherOREGON: Richard CrowIOWA: Betty GrinsteadILLINOIS: Marianne & RobertRoennaMISSOURI: Marion RippeeRHODE ISLAND: Cheryl CerboneNORTH CAROLINA: Paul & DorisDallasSOUTH CAROLINA: Lawrence KingOHIO: Maynard “Doc” UngerINDIANA: Guy StephensNEW/YORK/VERMONT/NEWHAMPSHIRE/MAINE/CONNECTI-CUT: Melanie Bussel

Ex-POW Bulletin

October 2007

7

PENNSYLVANIA: Frank Kravetzand Don LewisKENTUCKY: Dudley RileyFLORIDA/ALABAMA/GEORGIA:Doris Jenks, Jo-Ann Kannapinn,Ann Still, Rose Mary Meredith, Ray& Janet Van DuzerMASSACHUSETTS: Kay ArnoldMARYLAND/DC/DELAWARE: LesJacksonVIRGINIA/WEST VIRGINIA: MaryRolenNEVADA: Alan DunbarARIZONA: Jeanne CopelandTENNESSEE: Charles & FrancesHeffronWASHINGTON: Jack & LucilleJones, Gwen WarrenNEW JERSEY: Karnig ThomasianCALIFORNIA: Ralph KlingIDAHO: Bud HinckleyMONTANA: Rudy CollinsWISCONSIN: Walter PetersonKANSAS: William StahlNEW MEXICO/COLORADO/UTAH/OKLAHOMA/ARKANSAS: FredCampbell

If you are willing to help surveyAXPOW members, please call theOutreach Chairman and make hisday.

No doubt most AXPOW chaptersare out of close contact with a lotof their members, and many ofthem don’t realize what benefitsthey may be due.

EXAMPLE: In one hour, using up-to-date print-out Marsha Coke sent,I called three widows in TexasGolden Triangle of southeastTexas.

First call: Lady said something likeZCXQS!! And hung up on me; I justhope she has her DIC.

Second call: Lady in Groves, had noVA benefits; husband died in 1987.“What did he die of?” “HEART dis-ease!”. She had no idea she was eli-gible due to Oct. 7, 2004 ruling;claim is in for VA widow’s benefit,ChampVA later.

Third call: Lady in Nederland, noVA benefit. “What did husband dieof in 2003?” “Massive CerebralHemorrhage!” With Oct. 2004 rul-ing on STROKE, she’s eligible forDIC, ChampVA’s free medicaresupplement also; VA claim is in. Wecannot leave any eligible widowwith zero VA benefits.

“We exist to help those who can-not help themselves”.

SUCCESS

For NSOs Paul & Doris Dallas, work-ing former POW and survivingspouses’ VA claims is a daily vol-unteer task. Non has been moregratifying than this one Paul hassent…a real success!

”During the first week of July 2004,I received a call from May, who livesin Smalltown, Alabama. She saidher husband had died on May 25,2004. Her small Social Securitycheck did not go far. After housepayment, she had $317 left to payutilities, food, monthly expenses,etc. She requested help and direc-tion from another veterans’ orga-nization, but nothing came of it.

I knew this man. He was in a forcedlabor camp with me in Germany,and I knew what a terrible ordealhe went through and how bad hishealth – physically and mentally –had been since WWII. We kept intouch and had visited them tenyears before.

Mary said her husband was rated60% service connected disabilitywhen he died. When I had talkedwith him in 2002, the AmericanLegion was getting his 60% raisedto 100%; that never happened. Ihad stayed in touch with him sinceWWII and knew he had spent a lotof time in VA hospitals in six dif-

nso

Doris Jenks

National Service Director1120 Daleside Lane

New Port Richey, Fl. 34655

(727) 372-7238 - Home

(727) 319-5914 - Office

[email protected]


8

outreach cont...

NSO Committee

Beth Brooks – Assistant

Fred Campbell

Walter Peterson

Larry Dwyer

Eugene Inman

Leon Horowitz, MD –Medical Advisor

Ann Still is a National Service Of-ficer who works on Wednesdays atthe VARO in St. Petersburg, Fl. Oneday in April, a box, damaged intransit, appeared in the Ex-POWmail slot at the Regional Office. In-side the box were several militarymedals, which she recognized asWorld War II medals.

The only identification as to whothey were for was the name WalterE. G. in Florida.

She went back to the office andchecked for Walter E. G. in the VAfiles. No such person. She askedour contact upstairs at the VA, shechecked her computer. No record.

Ann printed out each Walter G.listed in Florida from an internetwebsite and spent most of the daycalling each one.

Ann finally talked to a young manwho said he thought she was look-ing for his grandfather. So shewaited for him to call her back,which he did that evening.

Mr. G. was hard of hearing and haddifficulty talking on the telephone.So Ann talked to his wife. His wifesaid those were indeed herhusband’s medals, and they hadwondered why it was taking so longfor him to receive them. Once theproper recipient was identified, theVARO mailed the medals.

Mrs. G. went on to tell Ann that herhusband had been denied a POWMedal and benefits from the VA.He had been a POW for 23 days andhad filed when the law requiredthat he be held for 30 days orlonger. They were delighted to findout about the law change. So Annfiled another claim in April.

On July 24th, our excellent Re-gional Office staff in St. Petersburggranted him 100% for heart and hy-pertension — retroactive to May2006.

Another widow, that I helped,wrote me to inform me she hadbeen granted her DIC benefit. Shesaid she was living in an old farmhouse (over 200 yrs. old). When herhusband was alive, they did a lotof improvements, but after he diedshe had to get a new well, new sep-tic system, new windows and hadto have insulation blown in. Shehad to take out a $30,000 loan todo this. Now, she says “I will beable to pay my loan off a lotsooner”.

I am glad the NSOs are keeping upthe good work in helping FredCampbell find those who need thishelp.

Doris Jenks

ferent states. He never could holda job because of his health condi-tions.

I told Mary that Doris and I wouldgo to her house in Alabama on July18, 2004, and for her to get copiesof all his VA hospital and otherrecords, and have them for me topick up when we visited her. Shehad over 400 pages of records forme. After we arrived home, I re-viewed all of them and couldn’tbelieve some of the things I read.Studying those records, I foundfour different unmistakable errorsthat were made by the VA in ratingdecisions in his case. I pointed thisout to the VA. No response.

Also in the fall of 2004, I sent thoserecords to Dr. Jo Harbour, POWPhysician Coordinator, DVA Medi-cal Center, Jackson, MS and askedher to review them and give heropinion in the case. She said thisPOW should have been rated 100%long ago.

The last letter I received, over a yearago, from the VA in Alabama saidit was in the appeals section. Icalled them several times; the Vet-erans Service Center Manager wasalways busy; and never returnedmy calls.

But Lo! A new manager! Doriscalled, spoke with the new managerabout the case. Three days later,she received a call stating thatMary’s DIC had been approved ef-fective the date of husband’s death,AND his 100% was approved effec-tive February 2000. She receivedtwo checks within ten days —$36,000 for her DIC and $86,850for his 100% Total $123,450 with$1067 monthly, plus ChampVA tocome! Grateful Mary: ‘I can finallyhave me some good food!’”

pow medsearchND Lawrence Strickland, Chairman

e-mail: [email protected]

35109 Hwy 79 South #63

Warner Springs, CA 92086

(760) 782-0538

Packet #5 (What Every POW’s Wife Should Know Before She is Your Widow) has been updated again, with much time and efforton the part of Marlene Agnes, to include the most recent laws and benefits published. The packet may be purchased from NationalHeadquarters. Cost of the updated packet is $15.00~includes S/H.


9

Health Quackery:

Spotting Health Scams

You see the ads everywhere thesedays — “Smart Drugs for Long Life”or “Arthritis Aches and Pains Dis-appear Like Magic!” or even testi-monials claiming, “This treatmentcured my cancer in one week.” It’seasy to understand the appeal ofthese promises. But there is stillplenty of truth to the old saying,“If it sounds too good to be true, itprobably is!”

Quacks — people who sell un-proven remedies — have beenaround for years. Today they havemore ways than ever to peddletheir wares. In addition to TV, ra-dio, magazines, newspapers,infomercials, mail, and even word-of-mouth, they now can use theinternet — websites offer miraclecures; emails tell stories of over-night magic. Sadly, older people areoften the target for such scams. Infact, a government study foundthat most victims of health carefraud are over age 65.

The problem is serious. Unprovenremedies may be harmful. Theymay also waste money. And, some-times, using these remedies keepspeople from getting the medicaltreatment they need.

What Do Quacks Promise?

Unproven remedies promise falsehope. Often they offer cures thatare painless or quick. Why dopeople fall for these sales pitches?After all, at best these treatmentsare worthless. At worst, they aredangerous. One reason health care

scams work is that they prey onpeople who are frightened or inpain. Living with a chronic healthproblem is hard. It’s easy to seewhy people might fall for a falsepromise of a quick and painlesscure.

You may see unproven remedies inproducts for:

Anti-AgingClaims for pills or treatments thatlead to eternal youth play on thegreat value our culture places onstaying young. But, aging is normal.A product may smooth yourwrinkles, but no treatments haveyet been proven to slow the agingprocess. Eating a healthy diet, get-ting regular exercise, and notsmoking are your best bets to helpprevent some of the diseases thatoccur more often with age. In otherwords, making healthy lifestylechoices can increase your chancesof aging well.

Arthritis RemediesUnproven arthritis remedies can beeasy to fall for because symptomsof arthritis tend to come and go.You may believe the remedy youare using is making you feel betterwhen, in fact, it is just the normalebb and flow of your symptoms.You may see claims that so-calledtreatments with herbs, oils, chemi-cals, special diets, radiation, andother products cured arthritis. Thisis highly unlikely. Individual testi-monials alone do not guaranteethat a product is effective. Instead,scientific studies proving that atreatment works are needed. Whilethese products may not hurt you,they are costly and aren’t likely tohelp much either. There is no curefor most forms of arthritis, but

rest, exercise, heat, and drugs canhelp many people control theirsymptoms. If you are thinkingabout a new treatment, talk withyour doctor first.

Cancer CuresQuacks prey on people’s fear ofcancer. They promote treatmentswith no proven value — for ex-ample, a diet dangerously low inprotein or drugs such as Laetrile.By using unproven methods,people with cancer may lose valu-able time and the chance to receivea proven, effective treatment. Thisdelay may lessen the chance forcontrolling or curing the disease.

Memory AidsMany people worry about losingtheir memory as they age. Theymay wrongly believe false promisesthat unproven treatments can helpthem keep or improve theirmemory. So-called smart pills, re-moval of amalgam dental fillings,and brain retraining exercises areall examples of untested ap-proaches that claim to helpmemory.

How Can You

Protect Yourself

From Health Scams?

Be wary. Question what you see orhear in ads or on the internet.Newspapers, magazines, radio, andTV stations do not always check tomake sure the claims in their adsare true. Find out about a productbefore you buy. Don’t let a salesperson force you to make a snapdecision. Check with your doctorfirst.


10

medsearch continued... POW MEDSEARCH PACKETSPacket 1VA Claim Information $8.00Packet 2Stresses of Incarceration & After Effects Extreme Stress-Covers theafter effects on the nerves and body organs $8.00Packet 3After Effects of ImprisonmentCovers arthritis, alcoholism, visual, ulcers, varicose veins, impotency,brain damage, etc $8.00Packet 4After Effects of ImprisonmentPart 1 - the heart, arteries and veins; Part 2 - cancer $8.00Packet 5What Every Wife Should Know Before She Is Your Widow - SocialSecurity, insurance, burial procedures, allowances, etc. including whatpathologist should look for in an autopsy $11.00Packet 8The European Story, History of POWs in Germany, and after-effects ofincarceration $8.00Packet 9The Korea Story, History of POWs in Korea, and after-effects $8.00Packet 10The Japanese Story History of POWs in Japan, and after-effects $10.00Packet 11NSO Director Answers Your Questions $11.00Presentation Set (Packets 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10) $60.00The Modern Day Tragedy - medical & claims evidence in supportof PL 97-37 $4.00POW: The American Experience - overview on POW experience; reviewsvitamin deficiencies, infectious diseases and service-connected statis-tics $6.00Map of Location of German POW Campsshows location of 76 camps $3.00Map of Location of Japanese POW Camps21" x 32" with camps featured in red $4.00

Check packets you wish to order and send, with payment, to:American Ex-Prisoners of War

MEDSEARCH, 3201 East Pioneer Pkwy.,#40, Arlington, TX 76010

Name Phone ( )

Address

City, State, Zip

Amount enclosed $ ______ (includes shipping/handling*)MasterCard and Visa accepted (circle one) ($5.00 minimum charge)Card Number: Expiration Date:

*Shipping / Handling fees:

In U.S.A.; 1-3 packets, add $6.00; 4 - 6 packets, add $9.00; 7 or morepackets, add $12.00.

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Overseas; 1-3 packets,add $16.00; 4 - 6 packets, add $22.00,7 or more packets, add $30.00

Remember stories about the oldsnake oil salesman who traveledfrom town to town making claimsfor his fabulous product? Well,chances are today’s quack is usingthe same sales tricks. Look for redflags in ads or promotional mate-rial that:

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For More InformationIf you have questions about a prod-uct, talk to your doctor or contactthe National Institute on Aging.Get the facts about health productsand protect yourself from healthcare hoaxes.

For more information on healthand aging, contact:National Institute onAging Information CenterP.O. Box 8057Gaithersburg, MD 20898-80571-800-222-2225The National Institute on Agingwebsite is www.nia.nih.gov.National Institute on AgingU. S. Department of Health andHuman Services National Institutesof Health

andersonville

Andersonville NHS496 Cemetery RoadAndersonville, GA 31711(229) 924-0343Fred Boyles, [email protected]


11

Anniversaries Mark

Important MilestonesBy: Fred Boyles

With 2008 just around the corner,the park is planning several activi-ties to mark the 10th anniversaryof the opening of the National Pris-oner of War Museum. It is hard tobelieve it has been 10 years sincethat great day back in 1998 whenformer POW’s from all over theNation came to Andersonville tocelebrate the opening of the Mu-seum. In those 10 years much hashappened in events and special vis-its of dignitaries. In those 10 yearsover three million visitors havecome to our Museum.

The mission and purpose of ourmuseum stays the same. The Na-tional Prisoner of War Museumserves as an educational institutionto tell the story of what POW’s havesacrificed for all our freedomsthroughout America’s history. Dayafter day the museum hosts visi-tors from all over who have heardof our story and want to learn forthemselves about it. Just this weeka new employee told me that shehad seen many people who aftervisiting the exhibits and films aredeeply moved from the experienceof seeing the museum.

During 2008 every event plannedfor the public will mark the 10th

anniversary of the museum’s open-ing. In March the park will holdanother luminary event with nearly13,000 candles displayed in theCamp Sumter prison site to com-memorate those who died atAndersonville. The park’s annualMemorial Day event will also high-light the 10 year anniversary of themuseum. Finally, the 2008 POW/MIA Recognition Day will be dedi-cated to the same anniversary.Plans are already being made forthat event.

Another anniversary is looming onthe horizon. The 150th anniversaryof the Civil War will soon be uponus. Just as the Centennial of theCivil was marked in the early1960’s and was the occasion ofmany events and focus on that war,this commemoration will also bringattention on this conflict. Alreadyin 2007 there are events in St Louisto mark the 150th commemorationof the Dread Scott decision.

In the Civil War time linewe are fortunate thatAndersonville is late inthe war, which gives usample time to plan for ourrole in that struggle.There are many variousplans about what should

be done to mark this mile-stone. Personally, I hopethis will be an opportunityfor the American peopleto reexamine what theCivil War means to us to-day. There are others whoare hoping this will be achance to look at an infu-sion of public and privatefunds into our parks to re-pair monuments, pre-serve earthworks, pur-chase much needed landsand other preservationprojects. My concern isthat as time moves us further awayfrom the Civil War that it is not for-gotten and that its significance isunderstood.

These anniversaries are important.It is another opportunity to catchpeople’s attention and say, “Hey –wait a minute, don’t forget whathappened here!” We were fortunateto take advantage of those com-memorations in the past to bringattention on to Andersonville andthe National POW Museum.

There have been the events associ-ated with the 60th anniversary ofWWII and the 50th anniversary ofthe Korean War. We look for everyopportunity to get positive public-ity that will focus more attentionon the park and our wonderful mu-seum. Our overriding goal is to getmore visitors to come to the mu-seum. Commemorative anniversa-ries are a good way to help promotethe park story and entice visitorsto come to the park.

Picture below: The commemorativecourtyard at the National Prisoner

of War Museum, ANHS

namPOW news

Paul E. Galanti804.675.5213 (o)804.675.5218 (fax)804.389.1668 (cell)[email protected]

Where do we

get such women?

Admiral Tarrant (played by FredricMarch) ended the 1954 movie,“Bridges at Toko-Ri” with the im-mortal line, “Where do we get suchmen”? He was referring to the char-acters shot down Navy pilot LTBrubaker (William Holden) and hisrescuing helicopter crew MikeForney, pilot (Mickey Rooney), andhis crewman who had just died atthe hands of the Korean enemy.Admiral Tarrant was referring tothose who’d been asked to serveand who did so despite the risksand unpleasant circumstances inwhich they might find themselves.They’d done their duty, selflessly,and earned the gratitude of theircountry.

The poem “On His Blindness,” byJohn Milton, contains the phrase,“They also serve who only standand wait.” That can apply as wellto individuals and families waitingfor loved ones to return, often suf-fering, a worse fate – that of notknowing – than their loved ones.We in the community of formerprisoners of war from all conflictscan identify with Brubaker orForney. There are many who wor-ried about us. And there are many

who agonize over us even today –often decades after our unfortu-nate captivity experience.

At the Richmond, Virginia HunterHolmes McGuire Veterans MedicalCenter, we just retired one of thewomen who most epitomizes whatAdmiral Tarrant meant in his trib-ute to the service of Brubaker andForney. Kathy Walsh, despite heryouthful appearance, just retiredfrom federal government serviceafter many years. It is a tremen-dous loss for our Ex-POW commu-nity as Kathy’s selfless service asour POW Administrative Coordina-tor has kept our Denny LandrumChapter functioning smoothly fornearly 14 years watching many ofus slip into various forms of dis-ability and some die. Yet Kathy wasnever too busy for her POWs. Of-ten greasing the skids for appoint-ments, Kathy had learned all theinner workings and secrets to navi-gating the bureaucratic shoals ofthe VA’s establishment.

Always with a pleasant demeanor,a “No problem” and smile. Kathyhad worked with several branchesof the military in the Pentagonstarting in June 1966, followed bystints in federal courts, congres-sional staffs in both the House ofRepresentatives and Senate. Shemoved to Richmond with the Trea-sury Department and, ultimatelyjoined the Veterans’ Administra-tion at McGuire VAMC.

Kathy started as a staff assistantin the nursing department and

soon became the administrativeofficer for the chief of nursing ser-vices. In 1989 she became the Ad-ministrative Officer for PrimaryCare Services at McGuire and fiveyears later – after helping with POWevents for years – became our POWAdministrative Coordinator. Onher own time she became qualifiedto process claims so she could ad-vise her new “charges” properly.Kathy attended every meeting ofthe local Denny Landrum chapter,most state meetings and, occasion-ally, the AXPOW National Conven-tion.

At a recent meeting of the DennyLandrum Chapter, Kathy was madean honorary member of our group.She’s pledged to stay active and tohelp the new coordinator atMcGuire ;earn the ropes. Our Rich-mond-area former POWs have losta valuable asset in this fine womanbut the good news is that she’ll stayin touch. She’ll be working at a lo-cal Sheraton hotel that probablydoesn’t realize yet what a jewelthey have hired.

So, Admiral Tarrant, you were onlypartially right. In Kathy’s case thequestion should be, “Where do weget such women?” And the answeris that we’re fortunate to have hadthis wonderful woman helping usin our dealings with the VA’s oftenrigid bureaucracy. So Kathy Walsh,on behalf of a grateful nation andon behalf of “your guys” in theDenny Landrum Chapter, thankyou. May you always have fairwinds and following seas.

Photo: James Schmidt, MD, POW Coordinator; Denny Williams (AXPOW),the Honorable Kathy Walsh, Russell Scott (AXPOW), Paul Galanti


12

pow-mia

PNC John Edwards,

Chairman889 Randall Road

Niskayuna, NY 12309-4815

(518) 393-3907 phone & fax


13

POW/MIA car-window decals areavailable at a cost of $20 per 100by sending a check to the Leagueoffice at 1005 North Glebe Road,Suite 170, Arlington, VA 22201.POW/MIA lapel pins are alsoavailable at $3 each or 2/$5. Foradded information please contactthe League’s web site at www.pow-miafamilies.org or call the nationaloffice at 703-465-7432. If no oneis available to take your call, pleaseleave a message.

Americans Announced

as Accounted For

There are now 1,772 US personnellisted by the Department of De-fense as missing and unaccountedfor from the Vietnam War. Thenames of seven US personnel wereannounced as accounted for.

They are Lt. Col. James H. Ayres,of Pampa, Texas, and Lt. Col.Charles W. Stratton, of Dallas,Texas, both U.S. Air Force.

On Jan. 3, 1971, these men crewedan F-4E Phantom II aircraft depart-ing Korat Royal Thai Air Force Baseon a nighttime strike mission ofenemy targets in Savannakhet Prov-ince, Laos. Shortly after Ayres ini-tiated a target run, the crew ofother aircraft in the flight observeda large explosion. No one wit-

nessed an ejection or heard beepersignals, and communication waslost with the aircraft. Hostile ac-tivity in the area prevented searchand rescue attempts.

In 2001, a joint U.S./Lao People’sDemocratic Republic (L.P.D.R.)team, led by the Joint POW/MIAAccounting Command (JPAC), trav-eled to Savannakhet Province andinterviewed Laotian citizens abouttheir knowledge of aircraft crashsites. One of the men led the teamto what was believed to be theAyres and Stratton crash site.

Later that year, another U.S./L.P.D.R team began excavating thesite. The team recovered humanremains and aircrew-related items.Between 2002 and 2005, jointteams visited the site six moretimes to complete the excavation,recovering more human remainsand crew-related items.

Among other forensic identifica-tion tools and circumstantial evi-dence, scientists from JPAC and theArmed Forces DNA IdentificationLaboratory also used mitochon-drial DNA in the identification ofthe remains.

In addition the names of five Armypersonnel involved in a UH-1D he-licopter incident in Laos on Janu-ary 5, 1968 were also announced.

They are Chief Warrant OfficerDennis C. Hamilton, of Barnes City,Iowa; Chief Warrant OfficerSheldon D. Schultz, of Altoona, Pa.;Sgt. 1st Class Ernest F. Briggs Jr.,of San Antonio, Texas; Sgt. 1stClass John T. Gallagher, ofHamden, Conn.; and Sgt. 1st ClassJames D. Williamson, of Olympia,Wash.; all U.S. Army.

The group remains of this crewwere buried at Arlington NationalCemetery. Gallagher’s remainswere individually identified, andhis burial date is being set by hisfamily.

Representatives from the Armymet with the next-of-kin of thesemen to explain the recovery andidentification process, and to co-ordinate interment with militaryhonors on behalf of the Secretaryof the Army.

On Jan. 5, 1968, these men creweda UH-1D helicopter that was insert-ing a patrol into Savannakhet Prov-ince, Laos. As the aircraft ap-proached the landing zone, it wasstruck by enemy ground fire, caus-ing it to nose over and crash. Therewere no survivors. All attempts toreach the site over the next severaldays were repulsed by enemy fire.

Between 1995 and 2006, numerousU.S./Lao People’s Democratic Re-public/Socialist Republic of Viet-nam teams, all led by the JointPOW/MIA Accounting Command(JPAC), conducted more than fiveinvestigations, including interviewswith Vietnamese citizens who saidthey witnessed the crash.

Between 2002 and 2006, JPAC ledthree excavations of the site, recov-ering remains and other materialevidence including identificationtags for Schultz, Hamilton andBriggs.

Among other forensic identifica-tion tools and circumstantial evi-dence, scientists from JPAC alsoused dental comparisons in theidentification of the remains.

The identification of the remainsof these seven Americans, plusthree previously missing and un-accounted for, but not yet an-nounced brings to 811 the numberof US personnel returned since theend of the Vietnam War in 1975.Over 90% of 1,772 still listed asmissing were lost in Vietnam or inareas of Laos and Cambodia underVietnam’s wartime control.

civilians

Ex-POW Bulletin

October 2007

14

Ted Cadwallader - Chairman9501 Nut Tree Ct. Elk Grove, CA 95624(916) [email protected]

Repatriation

Catherine Cotterman Hoskins

This story of repatriation happenedto my Mom, my Dad, and to me. Itis the way I remember our five-week sea voyage across the PacificOcean out of a war zone to ournative land of safety and freedom.

In early March 1945, Civilian prisoncamps had been liberated by U.S.Forces and the Japanese Garrisonin Manila was just about destroyed,ending a fierce battle for that city.It was time to put into place theplans for repatriating over 5,000American and Allied Civilians whohad been held captive by the Japa-nese military in the Philippines forthree years.

Young families and those individu-als who were not too ill or injuredwere the first to be flown out ofManila to Tacloban on the islandof Leyte. There they waited for theships that would carry them to theUnited States.

Mom, Dad, and I were classified asan older family with disabilities.Dad was an invalid withParkinson’s disease and malnutri-tion. Mom suffered severe malnu-trition. I weighed only 90 lbs. butwas able to get about and take careof myself. We lived in the SantoTomas Internment Camp until Ma-nila Bay was cleared of mines anda convoy of ships could be broughtsafely into harbor. Camp lifewasn’t bad. The Army fed us well

and the Commandant was anAmerican Army Colonel who hadbeen a family friend before the warstarted.

On the 9th of April, Army trucksand ambulances entered Santo To-mas grounds and those of us onpassenger lists were helped ontothe trucks and into the ambu-lances.

As the vehicles drove slowly downthe road to the front gate, it waswith mixed emotions I said mygoodbyes to this place that hadgiven me harsh shelter for the du-ration of captivity.

The ride to the Bay was a dreadfulexperience. Our beautiful city ofManila lay in black ruins—the Pearlof the Orient struck down by fireand cannon.

At the beach we were put on an LCTwaiting to take us out to our ship.Mom and I made the long climb upthe rope ladder gangway to the topdeck. Mom was escorted toWomen’s Sick Bay in the bow of theship. I joined the group of 85women and children who were ledto the ladder down into the hugehold. In a few minutes we wereasked to step back so that the non-ambulatory male patients could be

lowered into the hold and carriedthrough the head into Men’s SickBay in the stern. As Dad camedown, I let him know I was nearby.

When our belongings were broughtdown and sorted out, it was timefor us in the hold to find a bunkand claim our space. My firstchoice was a dumb one. The bunkswere four high and I chose the topone. That first night it rained.There was a leak in the canvas cov-ering over the hatch and I wassoaked. I quickly climbed to thelowest bunk, which had not beentaken, and there I stayed.

We were told that our ship was theS.S. Torrens—a Norwegianfreighter loaned to the UnitedStates before WWII. It had beenconverted into a troop transport/hospital ship. The Captain andcrew were Norwegian. The Captainwas in command of the ship andan American Army Major was incommand of all GIs, sailors, andcivilians. We were issued life jack-ets and ordered to wear them allthe time we were out of our bunks.Sentries were posted to be sure theorder was obeyed.

On the 10th of April, the 12 shipsand three destroyer escorts leftManila Bay. I was sad to watch mybirthplace fade from view. I won-dered if I would ever see it again.We had lost everything but ourlives. We would have to start overwhen we reached the end of ourjourney on the S.S. Torrens.

There was a “now hear this” an-nouncement on the public address.We heard the Army Major call ourattention to the rules we would liveby onboard ship. Everythingseemed straightforward until weheard him say there would be nofraternization between civiliansand military personnel or crewmembers. A roar of disapprovalwent up all over the ship. The Ma-jor could not go on.

Fortunately, there was a manonboard who had been our Chief


15

of Police in Santo Tomas. Gordoncame to the rescue by going to theMajor and explaining to him howwrong such a rule would be for uscivilians who had to live under se-vere Japanese order that allowedno normalcy in our lives. It wouldbe so much better for us all to beable to reach out and interact. Weneeded to get along in a real world.The Major withdrew the order andhappy cheers replaced the angrymoans. From that moment on,Gordon became our civilian leaderfor all causes.

On the third day we arrived atTacloban, Leyte. The folks who hadbeen flown there in March couldnow board assigned ships in theconvoy. I saw my first aircraft car-rier and was amazed at the size ofthat beautiful ship.

When we sailed away fromTacloban, it was obvious to us onthe Torrens that our ship was leav-ing the convoy and heading in an-other direction. A “now hear this”call explained the situation. TheTorrens was the lightest ship in theconvoy and had been chosen toproceed to several islands aboveand below the equator where mili-tary personnel waited for a ridehome after serving three years inthe Pacific. One destroyer escortwent with us for protection againstany Japanese submarines lurkingabout. Little did we know howgrateful we would be to have thatescort nearby.

My life aboard ship fell into a busyroutine including morale boostingrecreation. My Dad’s medic wokeme up every morning at six on hisway into sickbay with breakfast. Ihelped Dad with all meals. Momdid not need me for meals, so I vis-ited her midmornings and after-noons. I made sure I made it ontime to my meals. No one wanted

to miss the delicious fare our U.S.Navy cooks provided.

Every night, many of the passen-gers assembled in the Mess. Thosetwo hours before bedtime werefilled with music, fun, and laugh-ter. Several GIs played piano andguitar. Some of the civilians couldsing and dance—even do the Hula.One night, the Special Services Of-ficer asked if anyone would like toput together a show. The responsewas overwhelming! And so we did!It was a lot of work but worth ev-ery minute of it. Opening night wassuch a success that we were askedto put it on again one more time.We were thrilled to oblige.

We were enjoying a calm journey.There was one day of grief whenwe learned that President Rooseveltdied on the 12th of April. When theday came that we would be goingdown under the equator, wordwent round to the crew that we ci-vilians were not to be hazed in typi-cal manner. We had gone throughtoo many ordeals. Instead, therewas music and dancing on deckand everyone received a specialcard and certificate of the new ex-perience.

After the Torrens picked up mili-tary persons on several islands, theship headed back over the equator.Then came a night of fright! It wasabout 8 o’clock when our ship be-gan to shudder and shake. It feltas though we were scraping bot-tom. There were three explosivesounds. A submarine had beenspotted! The “get ready to aban-don ship” alarm then sounded.Everyone went as directed to theirplaces at the rail on top deck. Wewere told that when we heard theAbandon Ship signal, we mustjump into the water. We were as-sured help would be on the way. Iasked about my parents’ safety andwas told the patients would be car-ried to the lifeboats. It seemed likean eternity but it was not long un-til the all clear sounded and wecould collapse and relax! Thanks

to our destroyer escort, we wereout of harm’s way!

On the 8th of May, the Captain an-nounced the glorious news that thewar in Europe was finished! V-EDay!! The Norwegian crew knewthis meant they would be goinghome to Norway at the end of thistrip. Out came the accordions andthere was dancing and singing thatday on deck. More happy newscame when the passengers werenotified that their destination wasSan Francisco. Until that moment,we really did not know for sure.

One week later at midnight, theTorrens sailed under the GoldenGate Bridge with whistles blowingand passengers whooping and yell-ing!! It was very cold and I can re-member one of the Navy cooksputting a warm blanket around me.It was an unforgettable moment intime.

The next morning, the FBI and Im-migration Officers came onboard.After much questioning, I was al-lowed to go down on the dock. Aband was playing patriotic tunes,the Red Cross was serving coffeeand doughnuts, people werehollering. It was chaotic and won-derful. Social Services were thereto assist with money and informa-tion. Then I spotted familiar faces.Mom came down to join me andDad was carried down and put onan ambulance to be taken to a hos-pital. Now it was time to collectour stuff and go home with mycollege classmate and her motherwho had offered us a place to stay.

I said my tearful goodbyes to allmy shipboard friends. Then I blewa kiss to the S.S. Torrens—that gal-lant ship which had brought ussafely to our new home in America.

civilian column

continued

Photo: Santo Tomas InternmentCamp at liberation

events and information

events


16

October 11-14, 2007. The Oflag 64POW Annual Reunion will be held inTulsa Oklahoma this year. We have anexciting schedule of meetings, activitiesand entertainment for the men and theirfamilies. For further information pleasecontact Jay Wagner at 940-577-1487 ore-mail Jay at [email protected].

Feb. 1-4, 2008. The next CivilianPhilippine Liberation Reunionweekend will be held at the MarriottHotel in Fremont, CA. Plans are inprogress for this activity and addi-tional information will be forth-coming. Please join us next year.We look forward to your atten-dance at this informative and fungathering celebrating liberations inthe Philippines in early 1945. Forinformation contact: SaschaJansen, [email protected].

lookingforREWARD for your DELAWAREPOW LICENSE PLATE. Please helpme as I am collecting a POW Licenseplate from every state and this ismy last one that I don’t have. Iwould like to have the full run ofplates photographed for folks andschool kids to see and learn aboutwhat POWs went through for ourcountry. For those of you that sentme your plates I would like tothank you again. Please contact me:Dana Finn, 29 Lancaster Lane,

Bedford, NH, 03110, Tel: 603-472-4443 or [email protected].

My uncle James K. Davis was withthe 506th PIR on D Day and wascaptured the next day by the Ger-mans. He was assigned to either ECompany or HQ Company on DDay. I have found his name ondocuments from Oflag 64 in Po-land. He is quoted as having saidthat he escaped from the campwhen the Russians were gettingclose and made his way to theirlines where he was then sent to theBlack Sea for transport home. Iwould like to communicate withany one who knew my Uncle dur-ing both the time just before D Dayand the POW camp days. Thanksfor your help. Dave Boylan, 500Sharondale, Tullahoma, TN 37388;931 455 4130;

[email protected].

I am looking for information aboutmy father, Charles Robert Weldon,a private in WWII. My father, nowdeceased, was a POW at Stalag VIIA.The Military archives had a fire thatleft only a record of my father’senlistment and discharge dates. Anumber of websites state that thecamp had a roster of inmates. Byfinding such a roster, with myFather’s name, we could add theinformation to our family’s historyand ensure that he was, posthu-mously, awarded the missingitems; CIB, POW Medal, PurpleHeart, etc. Here is part of his story:“ Back in World War II, friends whowent to school together could signup together and be together allthrough their enlistment. One ofyour dad’s good friends and hesigned up together and were in the“war” together. One morning theywere out in the field, and your dadyelled “down, incoming”, to hisfriend who was ahead of him, andthen he hit the dust. When helooked up the only thing left of hisfriend was a single leg standingthere in mute testimony that hewas gone forever. Your dad was left

with shrapnel in his leg, mute tes-timony to his friend’s loss. I knowhow your dad felt - his world col-lapsed, but the war continued. Hespent no time in the hospital, ashe was captured the next day. Hewas put in the encampment(wooden building up on pillars). Hemade friends almost at once. Anddays later when his leg becameencased in blue, his ‘friends’ puton an oval pot to boil, knowing thatthe only way to save his life was tostop the gangrene that was in hisleg. As your dad was so tall, it tookseveral men to carry him to theboiling pot and immerse his leg inthe boiling water. He carried scarsfrom this to his death. He foreverwas grateful that they did this aw-ful task to save his life. When hereturned to the states and we werebilleted at the Biltmore Hotel inSanta Barbara, they operated andtook out most of the shrapnel, theyalso operated on his feet to removethe harm done by the freezing.”Michael Weldon, SFC US Army, re-tired; Udon Thani, Thailand;[email protected].

I am looking for information aboutmy grandfather who was a POW inGermany during WWII. He was aparatrooper and I think he wouldhave been a POW around 1943 –1945. I am not sure when becausehe refuses to talk about it due toPTSD. His name is Jesse LittletonYoung. He was born in 1919 and isstill living. Cindy Johnson, 12963Walsh Lane, Lusby, MD 20657; 410-326-1911.

My name William Scoggin. I had agrandfather who served in WWIIand I’m looking for a list that mighthave his signature on it. His namewas Lesley R. Scoggin #282275 T42o USMC (That is on his dogtags).If you have anything, pleasesend them to me at P.O. Box 931Esparto CA 95627 or e-mail me [email protected] you.


17

Members’

forum

Dear Cheryl,

Many of our retirees do not knowthat when they put in for Social Se-curity, they should have also sub-mitted their DD214. Their time inthe service is credited to the amountthey receive when retiring. It’s alsoretroactive if at first their DD214was not registered. To the wives,when they retire and if the DD214was not submitted, an adjustmentshould be made to their Social Se-curity check.

Charles Susino136 Jefferson St.Metuchen, NJ 08340732-549-5775

Dear Members of the AXPOW:

I have been a member longer that Ilike to talk about ( I joined in 1954).My wife June and I have been Life-members for a long time. We waitedto get the numbers we wanted. I wasan Officer elected or appointed forover 20 years.

All of this talk about civilians in thisorganization, some of you should

know that this organization wasstarted by two Mother’s in the stateof New Mexico, that had sons overthere, and maybe some of youshould look in the Webster Dictio-

nary for the meaning of POW. Iquote Mr. Webster “POW or P.O.Wmeans a prisoner of war”.

When D.C. Wimbery was Com-mander, I was his Judge Advocate,and Dusty Evashavik was the Trea-surer, and when Dusty passed away

his family sued the AXPOW Organi-zation. D.C., Joe and Glenda Sesser,and I flew to Pittsburg, PA, for 3

nights and 4 days, and we talkedPauline Brown into taking the Adj.and Treasurer, which at that time

paid $75.00 a month for both jobs. Ithink she did a good job at both. Thistrip was done at no cost to the organi-zation, we paid our own way. D.C. askedSally Morgan to take the job whenPauline Brown wanted to take care ofher husband. Sally said she would try ifthey would pay her $100.00 a month,and Sally’s husband Bill was Sgt at Armsfor many years. I think you should alsoknow that Sally Morgan was a POW inthe Philippine Islands.

There is talk of moving the Headquar-ters to Washington, DC, and I think thatwould be a BIG mistake. June and I werein Washington, DC, in May ’07 for my4th Marine Reunion, and the hotel rooms,meals and travel was about a third morethan here in the Midwest. Also, look atthe expense of the move that it will costthe organization.

I served on the Board of Directors withFrances Richter, Betty Rodrigus, andMary Wheat. I think they did a good job.I think you could do a lot worse. I here alot of rumors of changing ,the name,that is a no, no in my book. You have alot of NOK members, that would like tohave some of these jobs, and would doevery bit as good if not better, than someof them have done in the past as offic-ers. My daughter and granddaughter areLife Members. My daughter grew up go-ing to the National Conventions, sheconsidered it her second family. Ourfamily vacation was centered around theconvention, and she knew most of thepeople that went. She has made someof the convention since she has grownup, and says it sure isn’t the same as itused to be, because you have 2 sides in-stead of one Great group together. She

says we have to many Commanders andnot enough workers. Everyone wants tobe in charge, and so many don’t want towork for what the organization was es-tablished for.

I took a 7 year period and came up withsome BAD news. The deficits are listed

below:1999 119,000.002000 96,764.002001 11,837.002002 21,349.00

2003 33,663.002004 113,491.002005 106,445.00

If you add up these deficits for these 7years you could print a lot of bulletinsand other expenses.

No one can run a railroad long withBoards like this. It seems like we havebeen electing the wrong Boards. Itlooks to me like some are running andplaying at some one else’s expense.

Now to the AXPOW Service Founda-tion should not have been organized.It was voted in San Antonio, TX, bythe board of directors and later fromthe floor of the convention in 1963,that no one could use our name orlogo on anything. We had a companyto raise funds in 1962, that gave usabout 1% and they had a formula toget the rest for expenses, so I thinksomebody did not check past recordsbefore doing some things.

The last time I was on the FinanceCommittee there was a lot of moneyin Life Membership Fund. The way Iread it that fund was started in 1962-1963 for funding the bulletin, andnothing else. It was suppose to be alocked box to be used for only theprinting of bulletins. When Paul Rich-ter took the Adj/Treasurer we werebroke and owed for printing the bul-letins. He took the job and did not takeany pay, and I took the Commanderand though the San Antonio ChapterPaul and I got it on its feet, and onesthat followed us kept up the goodwork till lately. Seems like they justwant to spend and tear it down. Bythe way George Coates and GaryAnloft made the Bulletin into a maga-zine smaller that at present, up tillthen it was a newspaper 1962-1963.

At the 2006 National Convention thenew National Commander Robert W.

Fletcher, if I remember what they saidhe would have $98.00 surplus. That

would be a plus to what it has been.

I hope I didn’t hurt anyone’s feelings,

but this is the way I feel.

Sincerely,

The 13th National CommanderJack D. Warner

P.S. In all my years I didn’t take onepenny from the treasury. I did it formy BUDDIES Past and Present.

Check the records. JDW


18

59th ANNUAL NATIONAL CONVENTIONOct. 17-21, 2007Springfield, IL

“Land of Lincoln”Convention Registration

Registrant’s Name_________________________________ Nickname______________________

Spouse’s Name (if attending)________________________ Phone _________________________Address_________________________________________ E-mail ________________________

City_________________________________________State__________Zip__________

Special Needs (Wheel chair, oxygen, etc.) _______________________________________________

Unit When Captured___________________Theatre_________________Camps__________________

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES:

There will be entertainment eachnight of the convention, includingthe Springfield Capitol Area Band,The Springfield Municipal Bandand the St. Andrews society Pipesand Drums.

The PNC Luncheon is scheduled forFriday, Oct. 19th.

Reunion Night will be Friday, Oct.19th.

REGISTRATION (per person)$70Payable to:2007 Convention FundMail to: Marylou Andersen1244 Red Oak CtElgin, Illinois 60120847-717-0343

Saturday Night Banquet

The “Airmen of Swing” will be ourentertainment for the Banquet.They are a full swing orchestrawho perform for veterans’ groups.They come from Milwaukee, WI.Diane Ayers, our very helpful NOKfundraiser suggested them andthey accepted. Danceable music,etc.

Choice:Boneless Breast of Chicken ________Traditional London Broil _________(Choose One)

Registration Total: $ ___________

Ladies Luncheon, Friday Oct. 19th

“Hats off to the Ladies”40s and 50s fashion showBring your vintage chapeau!

$25.00pp $___________

Grand Total: $ ___________

American Ex-Prisoners of War

60th National Convention

October 17-21, 2007

AGENDA

Tues. Oct. 16National Service Officer TrainingTours

Wed. Oct. 17National Board of Directors

Meeting

Thurs. Oct. 18Opening CeremoniesNational Legislation ProgramMedsearch SeminarCommander’s Reception

Fri. Oct. 19Men and Women’s WorkshopsEducation SeminarLadies/PNCs LuncheonsNational Convention Call toOrderReunion Night

Sat. Oct. 20Continuation of General Assem-blyBanquet & Installation of Offic-ers

Sun. Oct. 21National Board of DirectorsMeeting


19

60th National Convention

October 17-21, 2007

HOST HOTEL ~ Springfield Hilton

700 East Adams, Springfield, IL 62701

217-789-1530

Name __________________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip ___________________________________ Phone _____________

Arrival Date______________________________Departure Date_________________

Number of Beds in Room 1 2 Smoking Non-Smoking

Circle One: Visa MasterCard American Express Discover Diners Club

Credit Card # _________________________________ Exp Date ____________Special Needs ____________________________________________

Check in time is 3:00PM ~ Check-out time is 12:00 Nooncomplimentary breakfast, airport shuttle.

Valet parking $10.00 per day

Things to do while

you’re in Springfield

Sightseeing

Over one million visitors a yearcome to see Springfield’s historicLincoln sites, which include theAbraham Lincoln Presidential Mu-seum and Library, the LincolnHome and Neighborhood, Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices, LincolnTomb, Lincoln’s New Salem, andmore.

Other attractions include the Dana-Thomas House, the Old State Capi-tol, the Illinois State Capitol and theExecutive Mansion.

Year-Round Festivals

Springfield offers hundreds of ex-citing events throughout the year,including: the Old Capitol Art Fairin May, the International CarillonFestival in June, the Illinois State

Fair in August and First NightSpringfield on New Year’s Eve, justto name a few.

Shopping

From charming, one-of-kind bou-tiques to nationally recognized, bigcity department stores, Springfieldoffers something for everyone.

The city’s westside offers WhiteOaks Mall, (the largest central Illi-nois indoor shopping facility), na-tional discount shopping centers,home improvement stores, state-of-the-art computer and home en-tertainment stores, fashion bou-tiques and more.

The historical downtown area is

brimming with specialty shops, an-tique stores, bakeries, art galleriesand much more.

The legacy of America’s greateststatesman, Abraham Lincoln, canbe traced to Springfield,Illinois…the city he loved andproudly called his home. As youwalk through the streets of historicSpringfield, you’ll feel as thoughyou’ve stepped back in time…andare experiencing Springfield as Lin-coln knew it.


20

News

Briefs

When Your Information

has been Compromised

Steps to Take From

the Federal Trade

Commission

The FTC is the federal clearing-house for identity theft complaints.The complaints we receive from vic-tims are available to other federal,state and local law enforcement of-ficials nationwide.

The FTC estimates that as many as9 million Americans have theiridentities stolen each year.

The crime takes many forms. Iden-tity thieves may rent an apartment,obtain a credit card, or establish atelephone account in your name.You may not find out about thetheft until you review your creditreport or a credit card statementand notice charges you didn’tmake—or until you’re contacted bya debt collector.

Identity theft is serious. While someidentity theft victims can resolvetheir problems quickly, othersspend hundreds of dollars andmany days repairing damage totheir good name and credit record. Some consumers victimized byidentity theft may lose out on jobopportunities, or be denied loansfor education, housing or cars be-cause of negative information ontheir credit reports. In rare cases,they may even be arrested forcrimes they did not commit.

Having your information lost orstolen can be a frightening experi-ence, because you may worry abouthow the information may be mis-used if it falls into the wronghands. Fortunately, since yourdata may have been accessed with-out authorization, there are stepsyou can take to detect misuse thathas already occurred and to helpprevent potential future misuse.

As a first step, consider placing afraud alert on your credit reports.Also, consider filing a complaintwith the FTC.

Many states have laws that governhow businesses should respond todata breaches, and what notice orassistance they are required to pro-vide to affected consumers. Texasis one of those states. Notices wereplaced in the Ex-POW Bulletin inSeptember and October issues. Anotice was also placed on the AX-POW Website – www.axpow.org.

What information should

I monitor regularly?

Early detection of a potential iden-tity theft can make a big difference.Keep an eye out for any suspiciousactivity by routinely monitoring:

Your financial statements. Moni-tor your financial accounts and bill-ing statements regularly, lookingclosely for charges you did notmake.

Your credit reports. Credit reportscontain information about you, in-cluding what accounts you haveand how you pay your bills. The lawrequires each of the major nation-wide consumer reporting agenciesto provide you with a free copy ofyour credit report, at your request,once every 12 months. If an iden-tity thief is opening credit accountsin your name, these accounts arelikely to show up on your creditreport. To find out, order a copy ofyour credit reports.

Once you get your reports, reviewthem carefully. Look for inquiriesfrom companies you haven’t con-tacted, accounts you didn’t open,and debts on your accounts thatyou can’t explain. Check that infor-mation, like your Social Securitynumber, address(es), name or ini-tials, and employers are correct. Ifyou find fraudulent or inaccurateinformation, get it removed. Con-tinue to check your credit reportsperiodically, especially for the firstyear after the identity theft is dis-covered, to make sure no newfraudulent activity has occurred.

What are the signs of

identity theft?

Stay alert for the signs of identitytheft, like:

· accounts you didn’t openand debts on your accounts thatyou can’t explain.· fraudulent or inaccurate in-formation on your credit reports,including accounts and personalinformation, like your Social Secu-rity number, address(es), name orinitials, and employers.· failing to receive bills orother mail. Follow up with credi-tors if your bills don’t arrive ontime. A missing bill could mean anidentity thief has taken over youraccount and changed your billingaddress to cover his tracks.· receiving credit cards thatyou didn’t apply for.· being denied credit, or be-ing offered less favorable creditterms, like a high interest rate, forno apparent reason.· getting calls or letters fromdebt collectors or businesses aboutmerchandise or services you didn’tbuy.

For more information,Federal Trade Commission600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.,Washington, D.C. 20580202-326-2222

Ex-POW Bulletin

October 2007

21

Candidates for National Office

For National Commander

Charles M. Hill

For Sr. Vice CommanderKenny Hanson

For Sr. Vice CommanderWarren King

For Jr. Vice CommanderEast~Charles Susino

For Jr. Vice CommanderCentral~Morris Barker

For Jr. Vice CommanderWest~Frank Burger

For National DirectorNE~Laura McIntyre

For National DirectorSE~Ray VanDuzer

Serving with the Army, 14th

Inf. Reg., 25th Inf. Div. Co.“I”, Kenny was captured onthe east slope of HeartbreakRidge, Korea. Kenny hasbeen a life member of AX-POW since 1988. He servedas Dept. JVC, SVC and Com-mander; and has served asState Treasurer for 7 years.He is an AXPOW VAVS Rep-resentative at the Minne-apolis, MN VAMC and hasbeen an active National Di-rector, North Central Regionfor eight years; JVC for thepast year. He also serves asConvention Chairman.

I am proud to offer my nameto you as candidate for Na-tional Commander. We havecome a long way together.Our organization has ac-complished great things,and I will continue to workfor the good of all formerPOWs. I pledge to you myvery best efforts to keep usfocused on our mission ofservice, to keep us solvent,and to hear every suggestionand recommendation youhave to offer for the goodof American Ex-Prisoners ofWar. I look forward to thechance to serve.

Charlie served the member-ship as National Directorfor the Northeast Region.He has been commander ofhis local chapter and hasbeen State Dept. Com-mander for 8 years. He hasserved on the Lyons VAMCas a stakeholder since 1999and received their “GoldenEagles” award. He speaks toschoolchildren – educatingthem on the POW experi-ence. Charlie is also a NSO– working to ensure his fel-low POWs and their widowsreceive the benefits they sorichly deserve.

While serving with the 15th

AF – 451st BG, 726th BS –Morris was shot down overHungary and held in StalagLuft IV. He has been an ac-

tive member of AXPOW,serving as Chapter andTexas Department Com-

mander. For the past twoyears, Morris has workedhard trying to keep AXPOWfinancially solvent. He de-veloped a plan, which he

presented to the member-ship in 2006, and again inthe Bulletin in Jan. 2007. He

is looking forward to imple-menting it as a member ofthe Budget Committee.

Laura has been NationalDirector since 1999. Sheserved two terms as Chap-ter Commander of the West-ern MA Chapter, and is past

State Dept. Commander forMassachusetts, past Adju-tant and Treasurer. She is

also a life member of DAVAand VFW Auxiliary. She hasspent 26 years VAVSNorthampton VAMC; 16years Council on Aging,

Hardwick, MA, ChairmanCOA for 10 years. On theAXPOW National level, she

serves as Chairman, Awardsand member, Bylaws com-mittees.

Frank was a National Direc-tor for AXPOW in the mid-1990s. He was Commanderof the San Diego Chapterand SVC for the Dept. of CA.

He participates weekly inPOW support group meet-ings and many local veter-

ans affairs. He was namedSan Diego County Veteranof the Year in 2001. He hasalso been a NSO for manyyears. He is currently Jr.

Vice Commander-West. Dur-ing WWII, Frank was as-signed to the 451st BG, 425th

BS, 15th AF. He was capturedover Hungary and held inLuft IV and Luft I.

Warren has been a memberof AXPOW since 1990. Heserved two terms as Na-tional Director and is serv-ing his first year as Jr. ViceCommander. He has beenactively involved in Tennes-see AXPOW organizationsas Alvin C. York ChapterCommander since its for-mation and Dept. Com-mander for one year. War-ren was a member of the 4

th

Inf. Div. Utah Beach Armyreplacement, Combat Medi-cal. He was captured onDec. 3, 1944 and held in 3POW camps until liberation.

While serving in the Armywith the 28th Inf. Div., Raywas captured in Germany;he was held in Stalags XIIA,IIIB, IIIA, XIA. In civilianlife, he spent 40 years as

CEO of not-for-profit corpo-rations. He is an activemember of the Florida Gulf

Coast Chapter, AXPOW. Heis also an active NSO, work-ing with the St. PetersburgVAMC. Ray is currently Na-tional Director for the

Southeast Region.

Ex-POW Bulletin

October 2007

22

Candidates for National Office

For National DirectorSE~Lloyd Pate

For National DirectorNC~Carroll Bogard

For National DirectorMC~Ed Kazmierczak

For National DirectorSC~James L. Lollar

For National DirectorNW~ Bonnie Sharp

For National DirectorNW~Gwen D. Warren

For National DirectorSW~Milton M. Moore, Jr.

For National DirectorSW~Ralph Kling

Pate was assigned to the24th ID, then Co. K, 19thRegt. He was captured onJan. 1st, 1951 and remaineda POW for 31 months and19 days. Pate was instru-mental in forming the Dept.of Georgia and charteringanother 8 Chapters. He hasserved in numerous posi-tions within the Departmentincluding three terms asCommander. He is a lifemember of the VFW, AL,MOPH, VUMS and theKWVA plus several DivisionAssociations

Carroll served with the 8th

AF, 466th BG, 785

th BS. Hewas captured in August,1944; held in Stalag Luft VIand Luft IV. He joined AX-POW in 1986 and quicklybecame an active member.He has been Chapter Adju-tant, Vice Commander andCommander; at the Dept.level, he worked the chairs,culminating with a three-year stint as Commanderwhen they. hosted the 1995National Convention. Hehas been a National Direc-tor for the past three years.

Jim, a B-52 Tail-Gunner, be-came a member of the 4

th

Allied POW Wing at the in-famous Hoa Lo Prison (theHanoi Hilton) after his air-craft was shot down overNorth Vietnam during Op-eration Linebacker II. Hehas been an active LifeMember of AXPOW andother veterans service orga-nizations. Jim is currentlyserving his 3rd term asAXPOW’s National Ser-geant-at-Arms and is JVCfor the Dallas MetroplexChapter. He is also editor ofthe Chapter newsletter.

Bonnie has served 5 years

as a National Director andwas appointed to a term asNational Jr. Vice Com-mander, Western Zone in2006. She has been active

member on the NationalBoard of Directors’ Out-reach, Membership, and

Ways & Means Committees.In Washington State, shewas Chapter Commanderfor 3 years and is presentlyserving her third year as

Chapter Adjutant.

Skip has been a long-time

active member of the Ameri-can Ex-Prisoners of War. Hisfather, Milton M. Moore Sr.,was elected as the NationalCommander of AXPOW in

1989. Skip served as Na-tional Sgt at Arms for 6years. He spent 22 years in

the Army and had two toursof duty in Viet Nam, retir-ing as a SSG (E6) in Augustof 1989. Currently, Skip isthe Commander of the

Cochise Chapter AXPOWand the Senior Vice Com-mander for the Departmentof Arizona, AXPOW.

Ralph flew P-47s duringWWII, while serving with theArmy Air Corps. He was

captured after being shotdown over Luxembourg. Hewas a POW in Stalag Luft IIIand Stalag VIIA (Moosberg).He was liberated on April

29, 1945. Ralph is currentlyJr. Vice Commander of theSan Diego Chapter #1,

Commander~Departmentof California and NationalDirector for the SouthwestRegion.

Gwen has been a longtime

member of the Seattle Chap-ter, AXPOW. She was adju-tant for the chapter for six

years (after volunteering tocomputerize the member-ship list) and was eventplanner for the Dept’s. 2007State Convention in Everett,

Washington. Gwen alsoserved as president of thePacific Northwest Rainbow

Auxiliary of the Army 42nd

Division. In Dec. of 2006,

she was appointed to fill theremaining term of North-west National Director, JimWells.

Kaz is currently serving asNational Director. He re-placed the deceasedLeonard Rose. He waswounded and captured onJanuary 21, 1945 in Luxem-bourg during the Battle ofthe Bulge. He was held inXIIA and XIB. He was liber-ated on April 16, 1945 inGermany. Kaz belongs tothe Wolverine Chapter #1 inDearborn, Michigan. Heserved two terms as com-mander of the chapter.

Ex-POW Bulletin

October 2007

23

The Members of the Brooklyn “Key” Chapter, AXPOWbelieve in our slogan:

“We Exist to Help Those Who Cannot Help Themselves”

In the last 12 years we have raised – and spent $500,000.00 to help ALL VETERANS

Several years ago, we purchased two new DELL computers for the National Service OfficeWe have donated $4,000 to help the EX-POW Bulletin

We furnished two rooms for families of veteran-patients staying overnightWe purchased rehabilitation equipment, televisions and more

We now ask every chapter with money to buy space in our Bulletin. We need this wonderful publication – MedSearch,TAPS, Stories of the past and other news and articles. The Brooklyn “Key” Chapter is the busiest, most productive chapterin the country. We know most can’t do what we have done, but we ask your help in keeping our EX-POW Bulletin alive.

If you want to help, call Lee at 718-642-7647.THANK YOU!

American Ex-Prisoners of War Website Biographywww.axpow.org

If you are not a current member of AXPOW,you must submit documentation of your POW status.

NameNicknameAddressCity/State/Zip TelephoneEmailConflict and Theater of OperationBranch of Service UnitWhere were you captured? Date captured

POW camps you were held inHow long were you a POW? Date liberatedMedals receivedJob in the militaryAfter the warBiography (please type or print one or two paragraphs.)Submit 1 or 2 photographs (color or black and white).

SEND TO: American Ex-Prisoners of War3201 East Pioneer Parkway #40Arlington, Texas 76010-5396

Please include your check for $65.

If you have any questions, please contact Clydie Morgan, National Adjutant,at 817-649-2979; [email protected]

Ex-POW Bulletin

October 2007

24


25

Please send donations to:National Headquarters, 3201 EastPioneer Parkway, Suite 40,Arlington, TX 76010. You can alsomake a donation with a creditcard (MasterCard or Visa). Just call817-6492979. Thank you!

Contributions are not tax deductible

contributions

chaplain’s corner

National Chaplain

John Romine1609 S. 23rd Street

Rogers, AR 72758

(479) 636-2287

GENERAL FUND

Robert Rivers, Orcutt CAThomas Foy, Bayard NMIn memory of Allen ‘Al’ Seamans, bythe Rocky Mountain Chapter, COIn memory of Anthony Kolich, by DavidBerg, Rodrigo Gomez, Janet Snell-

Kelly,Sharon Uhl, Joshua Muntain, Li-At Friedman, Dave Mills and CristyPauleyIn memory of Bob Suvada, by SamMorelandIn memory of Cleo Jackson, by HarryHammersIn memory of Dario Gerola, by GeorgeFascianoIn memory of Emanuel Bromberg, byCarolyn ChavezIn memory of Emanuel Bromberg, byConnie PaceIn memory of Emanuel Bromberg, byDaniel OrmrodIn memory of Emanuel Bromberg, byfriends and neighbors of HowardBrombergIn memory of Emanuel Bromberg, byGeorgetta PainterIn memory of Emanuel Bromberg, byGeraldine Rose

In memory of Emanuel Bromberg, byKathleen ThompsonIn memory of Emanuel Bromberg, byKerry KelleyIn memory of Emanuel Bromberg, byLorie LambIn memory of Emanuel Bromberg, byLorinda HiteIn memory of Emanuel Bromberg, byMarcia ScottIn memory of Emanuel Bromberg, byPatricia MilgramIn memory of Emanuel Bromberg, byRichard MacklinIn memory of Leroy Brown, by HaroldKnappIn memory of Milford Beldt, by WandaByrneIn memory of Stewart Livingston, byAnna RobertsIn memory of Stewart Livingston, byHarriet Berne

As I went out this morning to getthe newspaper, I glanced up andthought, “This is the day the Lordhas made; let us rejoice and be gladin it.” I would like for all the veryspecial friends and even those whohave not been friends to under-stand where this humble servant ofthe Lord has been coming from forover 50 years. I hope you will givesome thought to what I am tryingto say; what I have written and saidhave not really been my thoughts.I do not have any special abilities,but working in the Lord’s vineyard,I have been provided everything I

need to prepare sermons, devo-tions, funerals, etc. I am so thank-ful that the Lord has taken care andgiven me proper words andthoughts that seemed to mostly fitthe situation. So although we mightnot understand His plan for us atthe time He proposes it, I promiseto do the Lord’s will and honorHim. Please remember that this isthe day the Lord has made. May weuse it to glorify His Holy andBlessed Name.

Let us Pray: Almighty God, grantthat we, as a God-fearing peopleand nation, find a way to overcomeour differing opinions. Please for-give us when we fail to be more likeThee, who loves peace more thanturmoil. To want unity instead ofdivision. O Lord, our God, we dopray for peace on earth and goodwill toward all people and nationsand let there be an accounting ofour POW/MIAs and in all thingsmay we be more like Thee in whosename we pray. AMEN.

Thought for the month: The high-est reward for what we do is notwhat we get from it, but what webecome by it.

Top 10 signs from God…

1) Let’s Meet At My House

Sunday Before the Game - God

2) C’mon Over And Bring The

Kids - God

3) What Part of “Thou Shalt

Not...” Didn’t You Understand?

- God

4) We Need To Talk - God

5) Keep Using My Name in Vain

And I’ll Make Rush Hour

Longer! - God

6) Loved The Wedding, Invite MeTo The Marriage - God

7) That “Love Thy Neighbour”

Thing, I Meant It. - God

8) I Love You...I Love You...I

Love You... - God9) Will The Road You’re On Get

You To My Place? - God

10) Follow Me. - God

taps Please submit taps notices to: Cheryl Cerbone, 23 Cove View Drive, South Yarmouth, MA 02664


26

BERGMAN, Herman Arthur, 90, ofPortland, OR passed away July 8,2007. He was captured while serv-ing in the Army during WWII; hespent 20 months in Luft 3 before lib-eration. Herman is survived by twosons, one brother, one sister and twograndsons.

CACERES, Catalina passed away onJuly 11, 2007 at the age of 83. Shewas born in Corregidor, Philippines.Catalina was preceded in death byher beloved husband, FlorencioCaceres. She is survived by manychildren and grandchildren. Shewas a member of the Tacoma, WAchapter and a life member of theAmerican Ex-Prisoners of War.

CHENEY, Guy P., 88, of Windsor, CTpassed away July 6, 2007. He servedwith the 93rd BG, 328th BS, 8th AF. Hewas imprisoned at Stalag 17B afterhis plane was shot down over Ger-many. He leaves his wife, Doris, 1son, 1 daughter, 5 grandchildren and11 great-grandchildren. Both Guyand Doris were life members of CTChapter, AXPOW.

CHAMBERLAIN, Dorothy, belovedwife if Henry ‘Hank’, of Edmonds,Washington, died August 8, 2007.Dorothy served in the US Army as aSergeant during WW II. She was asurgical technician. She met her hus-band, Henry, while serving at FtGeorge Wright, WA. They were mar-ried nearly 60 years.

CORE, Orville, of Fort Smith, Arkan-sas, died August 15, 2007. Orvilleserved with the 8th Air Force, 398Bomb Group, and was a POW in Luft4 and 1. He is survived by his wife of57 years, Polly Anna.

DARGON, Harry R, life membersince 1988 and a member of theWestern Massachusetts Chapter,died June 21, 2007. He was captured

in Belgium and spent time in Camps8 and 7.

DEOCAMPO, Salvador passed awayAugust 13, 2007 in Lakewood, Wash-ington. He was 84. Salvador is sur-vived by his five children, 12 grand-children and seven great-grandchil-dren. He was born in CorregidorIsland, Philippines and was an ex-prisoner of war during WWII and theKorean War. Salvador was a longtime member of the Tacoma, WAChapter and a life member of theAmerican Ex-Prisoners of War.

DONOHUE, Robert G., 85, ofWethersfield, CT died July 4, 2007.He served with the 493rd BG, 8th AFand was a POW at Luft 1, Barth. Hewas a life member of CT Chapter,AXPOW. Survivors include his wife,Wanda, 2 sons, 3 grandchildren and1 great-grandchild.

DUMAQUIT, Geoffrey, member ofthe Luzuiminda Chapter in San Fran-cisco passed away August 29, 2007.he was 87 years old. Geoffrey was aformer Filipino Scout during WWII.He was a life member of AXPOW. Hewill be missed by his wife, Alice. Hewas on the Bataan Death March andalso a retired US Army soldier.

FABER, Melvin L., “Sam”, 88, ofGreenfield, IA passed away May 2,2007. He served with the 168th Inf.,34th Div. during WWII. He was cap-tured at Faid Pass, North Africa andheld for 26 months. He leaves hiswife, Alice, 2 children, 3 grandchil-dren and 7 great-grandchildren.

FINOT, Paul, a member of the VistaGroup with the San Diego POW Chap-ter 1 passed away August 1, 2007.He was a B-17 crew member of the8th Air Force, 490th BG, 848th BS; hewas a POW in Stalag Luft 4.

HOLMBERG, Margret E., 78, of WestHartford, CT died July 6, 2007. Shewas a life member of CT Chapter,AXPOW and was the widow of AlfredHolmberg (393rd Inf., 99th DIV., POW

at Stalag IIB). She leaves one son, onedaughter, five grandchildren and fivegreat-grandchildren.

HOWELL, Willie W., 84, passed awayAug. 9, 2007. He was a life memberof AXPOW and the James L. HaleMemorial Chapter, Hampton, VA. Hewas captured at the Battle of theBulge while serving with the 72nd

Armored Div. His wife of 65 years,Mary, 2 daughters, 1 sister, 1 brotherand numerous nieces and nephewssurvive him.

HOWLETT, Oshlar C., of Radford,VA passed away Dec. 6, 2006 at theage of 87. He was captured at FaidPass while serving with the 34th Div.,168th Inf. He was flown to Italy be-fore being shipped by boxcar to Sta-lag IIB. He was a POW for 26 monthsbefore managing to escape in April1945. Oshlar was a member of theRoanoke Valley Chapter, AXPOW. Heis survived by his wife of 60 years,Elizabeth, 2 sons and 4 grandchil-dren.

HURD, Robert Dale “Bob” died Sep-tember 3, 2007. During WWII, he wasin the European Theater, serving inthe 8th Air Force, 94th Bomb Group,331st Bomb Squad. He was capturedby the Germans, was in Stalag LuftIV and then marched to Hallie, Ger-many. He was a member of theFlorida Gulf Coast Chapter of Ameri-can Ex-POWs. He is survived byMabel, his wife of 66 years, 2 sons, 2sisters, 4 grandchildren, and 3 greatgrandchildren.

JACOBSEN, Gene Samuel, of St.George, UT passed away May 25,2007. He was 85. Gene was capturedwhile serving in the Philippines withthe 20th Pursuit Squadron. He sur-vived the Bataan Death March and 3½ years of imprisonment in the Phil-ippines and Japan. He is missed byhis loving wife of 61 years, Barbara(a gunnery instructor in the US NavyWAVES), 3 children, 9 grandchildrenand 1 great-granddaughter.


27

taps continued...JOHNSON, Chalmer D., of Milwau-kee, WI passed away April 2, 2007 atthe age of 88. Chal served with the9th AF during WWII; he was capturedand held POW for one year. He wasa member of the Milwaukee BarbedWire Chapter, AXPOW. Survivors in-clude his loving wife of 58 years,Lucille, 2 sons, 1 daughter, 8 grand-children and 1 sister.

KALINOWSKI, Helen L., 83, of WestBoylston, MA died August 25, 2007.Helen , along with her husband,Stephen, was an active member ofAXPOW – both at the local and na-tional levels. She served as treasurerof the Central Massachusetts Chap-ter for 14 years. In addition to herbeloved husband, Helen is survivedby one son, one sister and manynieces and nephews. She will bemissed by her many friends.

KALLAL, Howard, 83, died August4 in Palm Harbor, FL. He was bornin Cicero, Ill, and moved here in 1980.He served in the ETO, 8th AF, 305thBG, 366th BS, during World War II.He was captured and held in StalagLuft IV. He is survived by Irene, hiswife of 60 years, 4 sons, a daughter,20 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

KANTOR, Dwain Stanley, of SanDiego, CA died July 5, 2007. He wasshot down on his seventh mission,returning from Hanover while serv-ing with the 8th AF. Dwain is survivedby two sons, two grandsons and twogranddaughters.

KEARNEY, Matthew J., of Greendale,WI died July 2, 2007 at the age of82. Matthew was an Ex-POW in WWIIand was a member of the MilwaukeeBarbed Wire Chapter, AXPOW. He issurvived by his special friend,Delores Roecker, 2 brothers, nieces,nephews, other relatives and friends.

KENNEDY, Walbert H., of Parson, TNpassed away July 15, 2007. He was84. During WWII, he served with the2nd Inf. Div. “Indianhead”, 2nd Recon.Troop, entering battle in the invasionof Normandy. He was captured in themountains of Germany and held at

Stalag 12A until he escaped in April,1945. He was a life member of AX-POW. He leaves 1 sister, 3 sons, 2grandchildren, many nieces, neph-ews and his long-time friend andcomrade-in-arms, Jordan Baker.

KLINGINSMITH, Irl J., of St. Joseph,MO died June 9, 2007. During WWII,he served with the 101st Airborne. Irlwas shot down over Belgium andheld in Lufts 1 and IV for 16 months.He was a member of the Pony Ex-press Chapter, AXPOW. Survivorsinclude his wife, 7 children, 3 sisters,1 brother, 13 grandchildren and 9great-grandchildren.

LAKNER, Fred, of Hollidaysburg, PApassed away Aug. 16, 2007. Heserved with the 8th AF, 93rd BG, fly-ing out of England. He was capturedand held in Germany until liberation.Fred was a member of the SouthernAlleghenies Chapter, AXPOW. Heleaves his wife of 63 years, Betty, 1son, 1 granddaughter, 2 stepsonsand 1 sister.

LIVINGSTON, Stewart B., of Edina,MN died May 25, 2007. Stew wasserving with the 8th AF, 452nd BG,728th BS on the “Little Judy” whenhe was shot down and captured. Hewas held in a succession of POWcamps until liberation. Both Stew andhis wife Lorna were life members ofthe Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter,AXPOW. In addition to his wife, heis survived by five children and fivegrandchildren.

MADDUX, Jim “Bud” age 84, ofCookeville, TN passed away June 10,2007. During WWII, he served in theArmy as a member of the 82nd Air-borne Div. He was captured in Franceand spent 11 months in POW campsin Germany. Bud was a foundingmember of the Dearborn, MI Chap-ter, AXPOW. He leaves his wife, Mary,1 daughter, 2 stepsons, 2 brothers,5 grandchildren and numerous fam-ily and friends.

MARTIN, Horace “Al” passed awayon June 4, 2007 at the age of 84 inWasilla, Alaska. Al served in theEuropean Theatre and was a prisonerof war in Italy. He is survived byhis wife Jane, 2 sons and 6 grand-

children. Al was an active memberof the Tacoma, Washington Chapterand a lifemember of the AmericanEx-Prisoners of War.

MARTINEZ, Lorraine D., of Ft. Gar-land, CO died June 22, 2007. She wasa life member of AXPOW and the MileHigh Chapter. Lorraine was thewidow of EX-POW Joe F., who wascaptured while serving with the 200th

Coast Artillery; held in O’Donnell,Cabanatuan, Hirohata/Himiji.Lorraine is survived by 3 sons, 2daughters and 5 grandchildren.

McCRILLIS, Carl Patton, 84, ofDewey, AZ died July 16, 2007. Dur-ing WWII he was seriously woundedin the air raid on Cavite; he was sentto a hospital in Manila. It was therehe was captured and sent to variousPOW camps in the Philippines andJapan. After 3 ½ years, he returned

home. Carl is survived by his wife,Marlene, 2 children, 2 stepsons, , 4grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildrenand 1 brother.

MIDDLEBROOKS, Ralph W., of SanDiego, CA passed away July 6, 2007.He was 84. Ralph was captured onCorregidor and held in Cabanatuan,then Mukden, Manchuria. He was amember of ADBC. He leaves one son,one daughter, three grandchildren,one niece and one brother.

MITCHELL, Charles R., of Chelsea,MI died March 25, 2007. He was amember of the Wolverine Chapter,AXPOW. During WWII, he servedwith the Army Air Corps. Survivorsinclude his loving wife of 65 years,Louise, 4 daughters, 3 sons, 21grandchildren and 19 great-grand-children.

MOCORRO, Dometela (Domi)passed away on July 12, 2007 inPuyallup, WA at the age of 85. Shewas born in the Philippines, becamea military wife, traveled to the UnitedStates and resided in Lakewood, WAfor over 50 years. Domi was pre-ceded in death by her beloved hus-band Mark Mocorro. She is sur-

Ex-POW Bulletin

October 2007

28

taps continued...vived by her six children, 10 grand-children and three great-grandchildren. Domi was an activemember of the Tacoma, WA chapterand a life member of the AmericanEx-Prisoners of War.

MONTEITH, Joseph F. “Monty”, 84,of Philadelphia, PA died April 22,2007. His plane was shot down overGermany; he was captured and heldfor 16 months in Luft IV. He was adevoted contributor and life mem-ber of AXPOW. He leaves his lovingwife of 61 years, Rita, 1 daughter and2 granddaughters.

MORRIS, Donald W., of Huntsville,AL died recently. He served in theArmy during WWII and was a POWin Germany. He was a member of theNorth Alabama Chapter, AXPOW.Survivors include one daughter, fourgrandsons, three great-grandchil-dren, nieces and nephews.

OVIS, Harold W., of Delray Beach, FL(formerly of N. Woodmere, NY)passed away May 6, 2007. DuringWWII he served with the 559th BS,387th BG. He was shot down overGermany and held in Stalag I, Stein,Germany until liberation. He leaveshis wife, Estelle, 2 sons, 1 daughterand 4 grandchildren.

RATZMAN, Betty Louise, member ofthe Fresno Chapter #1, passed awayAug. 19, 2007. She was the wife ofEx-POW Earl Ratzman, who precededher in death in 1991. Betty is sur-vived by one son.

RODGERS, Joseph L., 86, of NewMarket, AL passed away Nov. 28,2006. He was a member of the NorthAlabama Chapter, AXPOW. He leaveshis wife of 58 years, Virginia, 2 sons,1 granddaughter, nieces and neph-ews and friends.

REIGERT, Dwight, age 82, ofGresham, OR died Aug. 17, 2007.During WWII, he served with the 15th

AF, 99th BG, 346th BS. He was shotdown over Germany and spent most

of the remaining days of the war ona forced march. His wife of 57 years,Arlene, survives him; he also leaves1 son, 2 daughters and 5 grandchil-dren.

ROBINSON, James F., 83, ofMechanicsburg, PA died Aug 1, 2007.He served in the Army Air Corpsduring WWII; he was captured andheld prisoner of war. James leaves 2daughters, 5 grandchildren, 1 sisterand 1 brother.

RUSSELL, Robert B., of River Hills,SC passed away Aug. 1, 2007. He was82. Bob was captured in the Battleof the Bulge while serving with the99th Inf. Div. He is survived by hiswife of 65 years, Muriel, 1 son and 3daughters.

RUSSELL, Roy D., of Little Rock, ARdied in November, 2006. He leavesone son, one daughter, 3 grandchil-dren and 1 great-grandchild. Thefamily writes that “the camaraderieDad felt from your organization wasvery important to him.”

SILVA, Agapito “Gap” passed awayJune 17, 2007. He was 87 and a resi-dent of Albuquerque, NM. Gap wascaptured after the fall of Bataan andspent 3 ½ years in POW camps in thePhilippines and Japan. He was amember of BVO, the parent of AX-POW. He was also National Com-mander of ADBC. Gap is survived byhis beloved wife of 60 years, Socorro,7 children, 12 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren, 1 sister, numerousnieces and nephews.

SMYTH, Hugh, 98, of Lakewood, WIdied March 14, 2007. He was withthe 36th Division at the invasion ofItaly; he was captured in 1943 andheld until liberation. He leaves foursisters, one brother, nieces and neph-ews.

TARPLEY, Willis B. of Anderson, ALdied June 28, 2007 at the age of 85.During WWII, he served with the 80th

Div., 317th Inf., Co. L. He was cap-tured and held in Stalag 7A. Williswas a member of the Northwest Ala-bama Chapter, AXPOW. He leaves hiswife of 64 years, Pauline, 1 daugh-

ter, 1 granddaughter, 1 sister andseveral special nieces and nephews.

TRONE, Donald, of Lewistown, ILpassed away June 27, 2007. He was88. Donald was a member of theHeart of Illinois Chapter, AXPOW.

TUCKER, Johnsie G. , 85, ofStatesville, NC died Feb. 17, 2007.She was the widow of Ex-POW FloydTucker (captured in North Africawith the US Army Btry 17 FA). BothJohnsie and Floyd were life membersof AXPOW. Survivors include onedaughter, Judy.

WHETSTONE, Charles L., 82, ofBartlett, TN passed away May 13,2007. He was a member of the Mid-South Chapter, AXPOW. DuringWWII, he was captured while serv-ing in the AAF; he was held at Lufts4 and 6. He is survived by his wife ofmore than 63 years, Rosalie, 1 daugh-ter, 1 son, 4 grandchildren and 5great-grandchildren.

WILKINS, Joy E. “Jack”, member ofthe North Central Texas Chapter,AXPOW, died July 1, 2007. He wasserving in the Army when he wascaptured on Bataan and held for 3 ½years in Philippine and JapanesePOW camps. Jack leaves his wifeWanda, one daughter, two sons,three grandchildren and good friendand fellow ex-POW “Doc”Masoomian.

WILLIAMS, Duncan J., of Rutland,VT passed away March 26, 2007. Hewas 84. He leaves his wife, Ruth, 4children, 8 grandchildren and 7great-grandchildren.

YODER, Oard passed away inTacoma, Washington on April 10,2007 at the age of 93. At the timeof his death, he was survived by hiswife Beverly and one son. YODER,Beverly passed away in Tacoma,Washington on May 1, 2007 at theage of 91. She was preceded indeath by her husband Oard Yoderonly 20 days prior to her own death. Beverly were both active and devotedmembers of the Tacoma, WA Chap-ter and life members of the Ameri-

can Ex-Prisoners of War.


29

taps continued...

An Angel Gets Her Wings...by Alice A. Booher

BLACK, Earlyn Marie, known by allas “Blackie”, was born in rural TX on8 September 1918. She lived on afarm and went to school during theDepression, earning her R.N. fromBaylor University School of Nursingin 1938. For 2 years, she was a civil-ian staff nurse at Ft. Worth’s CookMemorial Hospital. Fifteen monthsbefore Pearl Harbor, Blackie joinedthe regular Army Nurse Corps. Af-ter a stint at Ft. Sam Houston, TX,she volunteered for “paradise”, andin June 1941, arrived on the rockyisland fortress of Corregidor in thePhilippines. Early-on there was freetime for sports, shopping and nightsof dancing, but this did not last long.As violence escalated, supplies beganto run short, medicine becamesparse to nonexistent, scalpels weredulled by use, and injuries increased.Blackie and the other nurses dis-carded their starched white uniformsfor overalls of the Army Air Corps,size 42.

When Gen.MacArthurheaded forAustraliaon Mar.12, 1942,he leftG e n .Jonathan“Skinny”W a i n -wright incommandof all Lu-

zon troops which included thenurses.

When Corregidor fell on May 6, 1942,and American forces surrendered tothe Japanese, Wainwright and theothers became POWs. Blackie andother POWs/internees at Santo To-mas Internment Camp would be lib-erated by the 1st Cavalry.

Before the surrender, Blackie hadmet a young Army soldier, Harry J.Harding, USA, with the 63rd Infan-

try (PA), Ilio, Panay. Then a Major,he, too, was captured on Corregidoron May 7, 1942, and would be heldin POW Camps there as well asOsaka, Zentsuji POW camps in Ja-pan. He would be liberated fromRokuroshi Camp, Honshu, Japan onSept. 8, 1945, which was Blackie’s27th birthday.

[Wainwright would later say that thenurses were, and had been called“Angels” while on Bataan althoughDr. Beth Norman reports the namedid not appear in print until 1945.However one views the title, thephrase “stuck”, from Norman’s de-finitive book We Band of Angels toatop Mount Sumat Bataan memorialdedicated to the women on April 9,1980. These women forged a collec-tive persona, although individuallya very diverse group. Universally,they were grateful to continue nurs-ing during captivity. When Col. RubyBradley, on behalf of 16 other formerPOWs present gave out a plaque to afriend in Washington in 1992, it readin the name of the “Angels of Bataanand Corregidor”.

On Blackie’s return, she was ChiefNurse, Randolph Field Flight NurseSchool, and then at Lowry Field, COwith the AAC. 1st Lt. Black resignedin November 1946 to marry HarryHarding. Blackie remained in thenursing Reserves until 1950.

After the war, the Hardings lived inseveral areas of the Southwest andhad two children, Jac and Sandra.Blackie had always been fascinatedwith Native culture of North, Centraland later South America, and wouldperfect American and then Mayanweaving techniques in Guatemala.She became an expert, teachingweaving in Santa Fe and Los Alamos,NM. In 1998 she wrote that she wasbusy with genealogy; starting a smalllocal Weavers Guild for specialprojects; and enjoying a local youthorchestra and a Sentimental Jour-neys Band, a group playing ‘40’stunes in WWII uniforms.

Blackie never forgot kindnesses, andwas generous with her encourage-ments. In late 2006, she wrote thatshe was just home from 30 days of

rehabilita-tion thathad causeda signifi-cant loss ofweight andweakness,but none-theless in-q u i r e dabout oth-ers andshared information on mutualfriends. She was a resilient and en-tertaining correspondent. POW dia-ries were banned by the Japanese,but after her husband death, the fam-ily learned that both she and her hus-band had kept POW journals, whichfamily retain.

More worker than “joiner”, Blackienonetheless supported AXPOW, ROAand MOAA; and the DAR. Havingvisited the site in 1992, she becamea solid WIMSA supporter, (she, HRBrantley and Sally Blaine Millett werephotographed in TX for its calendar,registering, donating, always usingthe note cards and stickers; andwhen ill-health meant she could notattend the 1997 Dedication, shewrote that she had read everythingshe could in the Courier Journal andstayed glued to CNBC to watch it. Shewas preceded in death by her hus-band, Harry J. Harding and is sur-vived by her children, 4 grandchil-dren and 2 great grandchildren.Blackie Harding died Aug. 16,2007at age 88. A graveside service wasat Ft. Sam Houston National Cem-etery on August 24, 2007 and a me-morial service held in Kerrville inSeptember. Blackie, her strength,warmth, talents and generosity willbe sorely missed. As Clarence (thealmost angel) told Jimmy Stewart’scharacter in the 1947 It’s a Wonder-ful Life, a bell has rung, and anotherangel has got her wings.

Blackie’s death leaves only two re-maining WWII POW women from thePTO, Millie Dalton Manning in NJ and

Mary Jo Oberst in KY.


30

The 106th InfantryDivision Association

Organized atCamp Lucky Strike 1945 active

since 1946

If you are a former 106th Infantry Division vet, wereattached to the 106th,a relative of a 106th veteran, you

are eligible for membership in the Association.Annual Dues $10.00 < > LIFE Membership $75.00

The CUB Magazine has been published everyquarter since August 1946.

Annual Reunions held yearly since 1947.

http://www.mm.com/user/jpk/membership.htmOr contact John Kline, Membership Chairman

Past President ‘97-’98; Editor, The CUB since 1987M Co., 423rd Inf Regiment

11 Harold DriveBurnsville, MN 55337-2786

Phone: 952-890-3155Email: [email protected]

106th Home Page: http://www.mm.com/user/jpk

50/50 drawingLatest winners drawn in Washington, DC

March, 20071st Place $922.72 Russell Kaufman

Mentone CA2nd Place $692.04 Dorothy Farrell

Killeen TX3rd Place $461.36 Gerald & Marylou Andersen Elgin IL4th Place $230.68 Alland Grossman (Mrs.)

These drawings help raise money needed for our operatingexpenses. They allow our members to participate in a veryworthwhile project, while giving them a chance to win. 50%of the donations will be given to the General Fund and theother 50% are awarded as prizes.The amounts are determined after all donations are received.You do not have to be present to win. Please make copies ofthe tickets on the other side and offer them to your Chaptermembers, family and friends. We are asking $5.00 for 6 tickets.These donations are not tax deductible. Fill out the ticketsand send them and your donations to:National Headquarters ~ 50/50 Drawing3201 E. Pioneer Pkway, #40Arlington, TX 76010-5396.Thank you for your support of this very worthwhile project

Ex-POW Bulletin

October 2007

31

HELL & BEYOND,A DIARY OF WAR ANDCAPTIVITY

by Josiah Wistar Worthington, Col. V.C., U.S.ACompiled & edited by Frances Worthington Lipe(Full map of all Japanese POW Camps included)

Send check to: WORTHINGTON BOOKS153 Lake Front DriveBoerne, TX 78006

$50.00 per book (plus $4.13 tax [if applicable] & $5.50 s&h), Total $59.14

“The mostengrossing andscholarly epic Ihave ever seen . . .This is the mostunique accountever written aboutthe wartime ordealof a BataanSurvivor.

You may haveread other journalsand diaries, butnever one likethis.”

RAdm. Charles D. Grojean USN (Ret.) Exec. Director,

Admiral Nimitz Foundation

From Among the ManyDepression Soldier Prisoner of War

The journey that led through manytraumatic and joyful experiences.

This book is a true life story of one person whohas lived 84 years as part of a unique group – some-times called the Greatest Generation. I lay no claimto greatness, but I’ve lived among heroes. I believethis story parallels the life experiences of many ofmy generation.During WWII, I served as a soldier with CompanyL, 157th Inf. 45th Div. I participated in 5 campaignsand 1 invasion; I was a prisoner of war for 3 ½months.My purpose for writing this book is to share sometrue history, bring back memories and remindpeople of the time when our country was in oneaccord. It has been well received by those who haveread it.

$17.00 (inc. S/H)Send check or money order to:Wayne L. Watts, 4624 Ashley Hill Circle,Tuscaloosa, AL [email protected].

American Ex-Prisoners of War50/50 Drawing

PLEASE PRINTName:_______________________Telephone: ( )_______

Address:_________________________________________

City/State/Zip:____________________________________

Here is my donation of $5.00 for 6 chances to win the drawing.Prize amounts are determined by the total amount donated.

Mail your donation American Ex-Prisoners of Warand entry to: 50/50 Drawing

3201 E. Pioneer Parkway, Suite 40Arlington, TX 76010-5396

You do not have to be present to win. Your donation is not tax deduct-ible. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Donation not required to enter.Thank you for your support.



Address:_________________________________________

City/State/Zip:____________________________________







Address:_________________________________________

City/State/Zip:____________________________________Here is my donation of $5.00 for 6 chances to win the drawing.

Prize amounts are determined by the total amount donated.Mail your donation American Ex-Prisoners of Warand entry to: 50/50 Drawing





Address:_________________________________________

City/State/Zip:____________________________________







Address:_________________________________________

City/State/Zip:____________________________________







Address:_________________________________________

City/State/Zip:____________________________________Here is my donation of $5.00 for 6 chances to win the drawing.

Prize amounts are determined by the total amount donated.Mail your donation American Ex-Prisoners of Warand entry to: 50/50 Drawing


You do not have to be present to win. Your donation is not tax deduct-ible. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Donation not required to enter.Thank you for your support.Ex-POW Bulletin

October 2007

32


33

Order Your Personalized Autographed Copies of

Chicken Soup for the Veteran’s Soul! For every book you purchase 20% will be donated to the American Ex-Prisoners of War Organization

For more info call: 888-387-6373, fax: 888-387-6373, e-mail: [email protected]: Veterans Stories, Inc., 95 Uno Lago Dr., Juno Beach, FL 33408 ~ www.vetstories.com

Whether you are a veteran yourself, are related to one or simply enjoy the rights that they fought so hard todefend, this remarkable book will leave you with a heightened admiration for our nation’s best.

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Name: _________________________________________ Address:________________________________________ City/State/Zip:___________________________________

Membership is open to US Military and Civilians captured because of their US citizenship.

Do NOT send dues with this request Life Membership Rates for an application Under 35 $360

36-50 $300 Mail to: 51-60 $180 American Ex-Prisoners of War 61 & over $120 3201 East Pioneer Parkway, #40 Spouse of life member $ 40 Arlington, TX 76010-5936 Annual Membership Rates

Single Membership $ 40 (817) 649-2979 voice Husband & wife $ 50 (817)649-0109 fax e-mail: [email protected]

AXPOW Vest Order Form(For members only)Name________________________________________________________

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Price: $55.00, includes shipping/handlingPlease allow 8-10 weeks for delivery.

Mail orders to:AXPOW NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS3201 East Pioneer Parkway, Suite 40Arlington, Texas 76010-5396

Official AXPOW Cap (specify size) 25.00Maroon AXPOW Sport Cap 8.00Eagle Sport Cap 9.00Vinyl Cap Bag 3.00Barbed Wire pin 2.50Life Member pin 4.00Crossed Flags Lapel pin 4.00Brooch pin 4.00EX-POW pin (goldtone) 4.00Logo pin 4.00POW Stamp pin 2.50Past Chapter Commander pin 4.00Past Department Commander pin 4.00Eagle pin w/Barbed Wire 7.00 (specify gold, silver or antique gold)Necktie w/logo woven in fabric 20.00 (specify regular or pre-tied)AXPOW Logo Bolo Tie 15.00U.S. Flag Bolo Tie 18.50Mini POW Medal Bolo Tie 20.00Goldtone Bolo Bezel w/cord 9.00Logo Necklace & Pierced Earrings 10.002” Medallion (for plaque) 4.00

Vest Chainguard w/eagles 7.00Travel Alarm Clock with case 10.00

3” Blazer Patch 3.504” Blazer Patch 3.508” Blazer Patch 10.00

CLOTH STRIPES (specify which title) 2.00Life Member · Chapter CommanderPast Chapter Commander · Chapter Adj/Treas ChapterAdjutant · Chapter TreasurerState Department CommanderPast State Dept. Commander · Department AdjutantDepartment Treasurer · Sr. Vice CommanderJr. Vice Commander · Chaplain · HistorianService Officer · Legislative OfficerPast Chapter Officer · Past Department Officer

12x18 inch American Flag 5.0012x18 AXPOW Graveside Flag 10.003x5 ft. AXPOW Flag w/3-color logo with fringe, indoor use 60.00 with grommets, outdoor use 60.00

AXPOW Metal License Plate Frame 7.00Aluminum License Plate 4.003” Vinyl Decal 1.003” Inside Decal 1.008” Vinyl Decal 5.0012” Vinyl Decal 10.00Bumper Sticker “Freedom Is Happiness” 2.00Bumper Sticker “Freedom – Ask us” 2.00Magnetic Ribbons 5.00Memorial Seals3 sheets, $1.00; 10 sheets, $3.00; 20 sheets, 5.00AXPOW Daisies (dozen) 1.50 In lots of 12, (ie , 24, 36, 48, etc.-per dozen) 1.25Wall Clock (battery included) 20.00AXPOW Notecards (pkg of 25) 5.00Special Prayer Cards (pkg of 25) 5.00AXPOW Prayer Book 2.00Ladies Prayer Book 1.00POW Medal Poster Print 5.00AXPOW By-Laws 5.00POW Videotape – ETO or Pacific 11.00“Speak Out” Education Packet 6.00Canvas Totebag w/4” logo 15.00

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